Alejandro DiNozzo
by Danyella Skyler Silverfire
Summary: Las Vegas, the perfect place to discover new things about yourself. Xander's decides to take the bus rather than buy his Uncle Rory's car and his life is forever changed. For one, he discovers his parents aren't really his parents. Warning: Slash content
1. Main Story

**Title:** Alejandro DiNozzo (rough draft)  
**Author:** Danyella Skyler Silverfire  
**Website:**  
**Rating:** PG-13 or Teen, for violence.  
**Genre(s):** Supernatural/Crossover  
**Pairing(s):** DiNozzo/Salas (Past tense), Xander/Speed  
**Summary:** Las Vegas, the perfect place to discover new things about yourself. Xander's decides to take the bus rather than buy his Uncle Rory's car and his life is forever changed. For one, he discovers his parents aren't really his parents.  
**Warnings:** Violence, mention of kidnapping.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Buffy, I don't own any of the CSI's, and I don't own NCIS. That should about cover it.  
**Author's Note:** Decided to try my hand at this plot bunny of mine. Don't think I quite caught most of the characters personality. Then again, maybe I did. Feel free to offer help. I probably need a lot of it. This is a rough draft after all. Do you like it? No? I'm kinda nervous. Not sure if italics'll works so I'm using _blah_ to show where they are. Also //blah// indicates speaking in Italian. Also credit to Jaderose on who to send Dawn to.  
**Author's Note2:** I'm not writing this in order, so I'm going to have the main part which is this page and then the new bits on a seperate page before inserting them into this one when they get replaced by newer bits.  
**Word Count:** So far 21,766 and growing

!!!!!  
Saturday, June 12 1999

Xander yawned tiredly as he stepped off the greyhound in busy, bustling, smelly Las Vegas bus stop. He may ache, still smell faintly of smoke and blood to his own nose, and have a serious crick in his neck from the hours long bus ride, but he was free. Two days graduated and into his great cross-country trek, not a crazy parent or friend in sight.

Resettling his bag on his shoulder Xander took off down the street from the bus stop thinking over his plans to take in the sights. The glitz, the glamour, the tacky lights, and people in the middle of mostly non-lethal self-delusionment. He fully expected to be bored within a week at the most.

Xander was walking back to his motel from the diner he had just grabbed a late meal at when he saw the cops doing... their thing? Xander slowed and eventually came to a stop at the yellow tape bordering the crime scene, just to watch cops actually doing their job. He found it rather fascinating watching an attractive blonde woman going around taking pictures, measuring stuff, and other important things while the detectives actually _questioned_ people. And took notes!

He was so fascinated watching the intricacy of the dance of actual people _caring_ about their job, that he was almost too late to notice the trouble. As it was, it was close.

The woman had just shifted a cloth on the ground when Xander saw something familiar unfold from its former shape as a dumpster1 into something spider-like and still metal. The cops pulled their guns and started firing on the thing.

Xander ran forward with his own gun drawn, thanking his dad again for taking him out to register him to carry as soon as he was legal. His parents may have been weird at times and fought with each other a lot, but Xander could never doubt they loved him in their own way. Even if they _had_ decided he was some sort of warrior for god when they found out about the slaying last year.

Xander grabbed one of the detectives by the back of their belt and yanked them back just in time to save them from being stomped by the mimic. Letting go Xander took a shot at one of the power stones1 only to growl when the bullet was just absorbed into the metal like the cops. Backing up with the detective Xander hurriedly replaced the clip in his gun with one of his back up ones that had the special bullets. Firing another shot, the silver bullet was again absorbed.

Switching out the clip again, he was somewhat gratified to find that blessed wood seemed to work, though not much, so there was probably more need to actually kill it. Ducking behind a car Xander quickly ran through a mental checklist of what he knew of these particular constructs.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the mimic growl in pain. Peeking through the car windows he saw the woman officer had done some damage with her gun, though not enough, not knowing where to shoot.

The woman finding the mimic now focused on her began backing away from it.

"Ma'am! Over here!" Xander called out, waving the woman over to where he and the detective crouched.

The blonde darted them a quick look before hightailing it over to the marginal cover offered by the car.

"What the hell is that thing?" She demanded as she ducked out of the mimic's line of sight leaving one confused metallic bug.

"Don't take this the wrong way, ma'am, but I need you to do something kinda weird for me," Xander said as he crawled over to her.

"What's that? You know how to kill that thing?" the detective demanded.

"Yeah, I think so. I need her to brace my gun for me." He told the two.

"What?" both she and the detective demanded.

"Look we don't have time to explain, just go with it okay?" Xander gave her his best hopeful look before peeking over the edge of the car at the rampaging mimic.

"Fine, but I expect an explanation later," she relented.

"Whatever." Xander said turning the woman so that he was spooned behind her with his arms braced on her shoulders. Arms extended Xander took careful aim on one of the power stones again. "Just be ready to move. It's gonna die slow." After delivering his warning Xander quickly took his shots. First the power stones, then the sigils.

All the while he was carefully backing up taking the woman with him as the mimic came towards the fleshy creatures causing it pain. Each time a carefully aimed bullet hit the creature would stutter briefly and the power stone would explode.

Xander finally stopped firing to shove the woman to the side and scramble out of the way himself as the thing finally gave one last shudder and seemed to crumple slightly before falling over and onto Xander.

His last thought before it hit him was, _'Should've known it would choose to fall on me.'_

!!!!!  
Sunday, June 13 1999

Catherine sat next to the boy's bed listening to the machines beep quietly. She was jarred from her dark thoughts by the ring of her cell.

"Hello?"

_"Catherine? It's Nick."_

"Hey Nick. Did you find anything on our rescuer?"

_"Yeah, his names Alexander L. Harris. Age seventeen, son of Jessica and Anthony Harris of Sunnydale, California. No priors."_

Catherine hissed at the name of the town. It was an unspoken of legend in CSI circles. They were always looking for good CSI, tech and field, to work there. And they did offer a good package and challenging work there, but cops hated dealing with the strange or things that you just had to accept. So only the truly fanatical or suicidal went there, the CSI's either way, never lasted there long, either they got killed or they transferred out do to the overabundance of politics. "Shit."

_"Yeah. So I dug deeper and found a couple strange things about his file."_ There was the faint sound of typing on the other end.

"Like?"

_"Well it seems that recently he's been at the scenes of a lot of S-Files, including his graduation."_ Nick said using the code phrase that had cropped up not long after that X-files series started. According to legend, someone had made a crack at a convention about X-files being aliens and government cover ups, so the supernatural stuff should be S-files. Not long after that all the CSI's and cops started using the phrase to describe a wide range of cases. Though you weren't told the phrase or about the cases until after you'd had one yourself, no one liked speaking of them when they don't have to.

"It figures, considering he was carrying silver and wood bullets along with normal lead ones. You said several weird things?" Catherine prompted.

_"A couple other things; there's no record of his birth, and neither of his parents are even close to the blood type as he is."_

"That's weird."

_"Yeah, so I did a bit more digging and found that Mr. and Mrs. Harris adopted a year old baby they had apparently found just before they moved to Sunnydale."_

"And it being Sunnydale, no one bothered to look any deeper." She sighed thankful yet again that the world at large was oblivious to that particular place.

_"I also found that about a year ago the police there had run his and a bunch of other students DNA. His came up with two matches for close relatives. Like parents close. They're both cops. A Detective Anthony DiNozzo, age thirty-two1 in Philadelphia, and a Detective Yelina Salas, also age thirty-two in Miami."_

Catherine frowned in thought. "I know Detective DiNozzo. He doesn't have a kid."

_"Apparently he does. Or rather did. According to what I found when he was fifteen he and Detective Salas had a son together, an Alejandro Lavelle DiNozzo born August 22, 1981. Seventeen years ago the year old Alejandro was kidnapped from Detective Salas in New York while Detective DiNozzo was away at military school. The case is still open."_

"Wow. So how did he go from being in New York to clear across the country in Sunnydale of all places?"

_"I don't know Catherine; you know that entire place is weird."_

"Thanks for checking for me Nick."

_"No problem Catherine. Talk to you later."_

"Yeah, later." Catherine hung up her phone and looked over at the unconscious boy. "I have a feeling when you wake up; you're in for a shock."

Tony DiNozzo distractedly answered his phone as he looked over looked over a case file. "DiNozzo."

A woman's voice replied. _"Hi, Detective DiNozzo. You probably don't remember me, but I'm Catherine Willows. We met a few years ago in Vegas. You were here on a case."_

"One of the CSI's on the nightshift there right?" Tony asked turning more of his attention to the woman on the phone.

_"Yeah. I know this is going to be... weird but we got an S-file recently and a civilian helped out."_

Tony sat up stiffened at the code phrase. "I don't see what that has to do with me."

_"Normally it wouldn't. However, when we were doing a background check to find out about him, your name came up."_

Tony frowned as he mentally reviewed all the S-files he had gotten over the years. "How?"

_"He... well... I really don't know how to put this."_ Catherine sounded really uncomfortable. _"I'm pretty sure he's your son Alejandro. I mean, we reran his DNA to confirm what the Sunnydale police file said, and it came up positive."_

Tony stared blankly at the file on his desk trying to absorb what she was telling him.

_"Detective DiNozzo? Are you still there?"_ concern was now mixed with the unease in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm here. Can I talk to him?" Tony managed to croak out.

_"I'm sorry."_ Catherine's voice grew more uncomfortable. _"He's in a coma right now."_

"Why?" Tony snapped.

_"The S-file fell on him after he stopped it,"_ Catharine explained apologetically.

Tony laughed wryly. "Sound's like he took after me. Did you call Yelina yet?"

_"No, I called you first because we had already met. She's next."_

"No I'll do it. She should get the news from me. You're sure?"

_"We ran the test twice, plus there was the one done in Sunnydale last year."_

"Why am I just finding out now then?" Tony demanded.

_"He was raised in Sunnydale, California. I'm sorry."_ Catherine was truly apologetic.

Tony blew out a breath. "Well at least he's alive. Thank you for telling me personally."

_"It's the least I could do."_ Catherine paused before adding on softly. _"He saved my life."_

"Like father like son I guess." Tony paused before asking, "Who had him?"

_"A Jessica Messer and her husband Anthony Harris."_

Tony nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I can, so will Yelina."

_"Alright. Goodbye."_

"Bye." Tony hung up and covered his face with his hands.

He couldn't help smiling remembering the night that Alejandro was conceived. Tony and Yelina had been deeply in love at fourteen and decided to go all the way while his parents where away on business.

Tony wanting to make their first time special had gone overboard on the romance and they ended up laughing when they tried to kiss. Too many flowers and candles and not enough experience between them.

In the end though it had been beautiful night, and he had never regretted losing his virginity to the beautiful and vivacious chef's daughter. He still wonders sometimes what would have happened had his parents had allowed them to marry when Yelina ended up pregnant.

Instead he had ended up shipped off to military school for knocking up the help's daughter. And Yelina had to deal with being an unwed pregnant teen in a devoutly Catholic family, and being watched by Tony's devoutly Catholic parents as well. Even if she wanted to, there was no way she was getting an abortion.

When little, perfect, dark haired Alejandro was born that August he had swiftly claimed the hearts of both sides of his family. Even if Tony's and Yelina's parents didn't approve of their actions they didn't hold it over Alejandro and adored him.

One of Tony's best memories of his father was Vincent DiNozzo1 holding his grandson and feeding him a bottle at three in the morning while Tony had Alejandro over Christmas holidays while he was back from school.

Things were finally getting back to normal plus the addition of Alejandro when he had been kidnapped. All the tentative rebuilding that Tony had managed with the Salas' and his own family was shattered one fall day while he was back at school.

Shaking off the memories Tony called his feisty Brazilian ex.

_"Detective Salas."_ A familiar businesslike female voice answered.

"Yelina, it's Tony," Tony greeted as he shifted his phone to his shoulder so he could arrange to fly to Vegas.

_"Tony. To what do I owe the pleasure?"_ She asked curious.

"They found Alejandro."

_"What? Tony, don't joke about this,"_ Yelina snapped.

"He's my son too Yelina. You know I wouldn't joke about this," Tony snapped back angry at her accusation.

_"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."_ Yelina drew a deep breath. _"Who are they?"_

"Las Vegas PD. They had an S-file and he jumped in. He's in a coma in the hospital there right now."

Yelina bit of a curse in Spanish. _"Where was he?"_

"Sunnydale, California. You remember Jessica Messer?" Tony asked when she finished her new string of curses.

_"Pretty blonde girl. Couple years older than us. She had a big crush on you. Married and left New York when we were sixteen."_

"She and her husband Anthony Harris moved to Sunnydale and raised Alejandro there," Tony told her as he downloaded the file Catherine had sent to his email to his laptop. "I don't believe in coincidence."

Yelina's voice was venomous when she answered, _"Neither do I."_

"I'll see you in Vegas?"

_"Just tell me where to go to see my Alejandro."_

"I'll email you the information and have a ticket waiting for you at the airport. Do you need one for Ray?" Tony asked as he began getting ready to leave.

_"No, I have to do this myself."_

"Okay. I'll see you there then." Tony hung up the phone and went to get permission to go see his son.

!!!!!  
Monday, June 14 1999

Tony smiled weakly at the dark beauty that strode purposefully down the hospital hall towards him. "Yelina, you look as stunning as ever."

She gave him a small smile. "Tony, nice to see you again. Can I see him?"

"Come on. I'll take you there. He's doing better. He's woken up a few times. Not for long, but it's a good sign."

"Does he know...?"

"No. He hasn't been very lucid yet with the pain killers." Tony opened the door to the hospital room their son was in. "Here he is."

Yelina's eyes teared up as she hungrily took in the sight of their son laying on the hospital bed. "He's gotten so big."

"I know. So many missed years," Tony whispered as he sat down in one of the chairs.

Yelina sat down on the other side of Xander and clasped his limp hand as she started to pray.

!!!!!  
Tuesday, June 15 1999

Xander dialed his... the Harris' home, he nervously shifted as he waited impatiently.

_"Hello?"_

Xander slipped into the familiar cadence of the Italian that Jessica insisted they speak to each other. "//Mom... I found out something interesting today.'"

Xander closed his eyes in pain at the joy in the voice of the woman he had always thought of as his mother. _"//Really what's that Alexander?//"_

"//Like that my name is apparently really Alejandro Lavelle DiNozzo.//"

_"//Oh that.//"_

"//Yeah, that mom. Did you really adopt me?//" It hurt to ask that of her. She may have been crazy; Xander had known that since he was a child, but she had been his _mom!_ The woman who adored him in her own odd way.

_"//Yes we did. Are you okay? You know it doesn't mean we loved you any less Alexander,//"_ she reassured the love she felt obvious in her voice.

"//Mom... I... You...//"

_"//Alexander? What is it? You know you can ask me anything.//"_

Xander sighed and bit the bullet as it were, "//Mom did you... kidnap me?//"

There was surprised silence from the other end before Jessica answered softly, _"//Yes I did. You were so beautiful. Every bit his son. Nothing of that... girl... in you. She wasn't good enough to raise you.//"_

Xander hurt listening to his mom rant and reason how she had come to have him. She had been in love... no obsessed, with Tony. They had gone to high school together; but no matter how much she tried to get him to pay attention to her, the more distant he became. He became her obsession, the one thing she couldn't have. Then _it_ happened. Yelina and Tony started dating.

At first Jessica Messer hadn't been worried; after all it was just a phase. Then Yelina got pregnant and Tony sent off to military school half way through the school term. Jessica had been furious at first, but then she figured that it didn't matter. Just a little youthful indiscretion on Tony's part with one of the servant's daughter, he'd drop her soon enough when she became a fat cow.

But when Tony came back that summer he and Yelina were even closer, even for their not being allowed alone together. When Xander had been born things had gotten worse, for the two families had decided that the two would share custody and responsibility for their actions. Tony was so proud of his son, and still seeing Yelina.

Jessica watched with growing jealously as Tony visited on holidays to spend time with his family; his girlfriend and their son.

During all this though, Jessica had fallen for the little Alejandro herself. Unable to take it anymore; and knowing enough to know that she could never have Tony for herself; she decided on a plan. She decided to take something that should have been hers.

Alejandro.

Earlier that year she had married Anthony Harris, and she had managed to get him to somehow go along with her scheme. The two of them took Alejandro DiNozzo with them when they left New York to begin their new lives in California not even a month after his first birthday.

They changed his name to Alexander Harris and raised him as their own.

The entire tale was told in the same soft spoken Italian that had soothed his nightmares when he was little, making it all the worse. For Xander could hear no remorse in her voice. Mostly just love for him and his _real_ father, mixed in with loathing for his real mother.

_"//Alexander?//"_ Jessica's worried query disrupted his dark thoughts.

"//Do... do the rest of the family know? Do Uncle Louie and Uncle Danny?//"

_"//No Alexander. They knew I adopted you, but not how I got you. What will you do now?//"_

"//I don't know. But I don't think I like you right now.//"

_"//Alexander?//"_

"Goodbye Jessica." Xander turned off the phone and lay on his side staring at the wall for a long time after that trying not to think.

Eventually Xander turned on his phone and dialed another number blindly.

_"Messer."_ A groggy man's voice answered.

"//Uncle Danny? Can we talk?//"

_"//Xander? Are you alright?//"_ Danny's voice sounded clearer and more worried.

"//I just found out I was adopted today.//"

_"//Are you alright? You do know that doesn't mean we love you any less, right?//"_ Danny asked concerned.

"//I... M... Jessica kidnapped me,//" Xander managed to choke out.

_"//Are you sure?//"_ Danny paused before changing his question. _"//Nevermind, how did you find out?//"_

"//She told me when I asked why I apparently had two people I'd never met before claiming to be my parents and that I had been taken as a baby.//"

_"//Do you believe them?//"_

Xander sighed as he thought over what he had seen of the two. "//Yeah, I think I do. They're both cops.//"

Amusement entered Danny's voice. _"//Thus why you called me and not Louie?//"_

"//Kinda. I'm calling him next. What do you think I should do?//"

_"//I don't have all the answers Xander. Why don't you tell me about them?//"_

"//Apparently m... Jessica knew them, or at least him. His names Tony DiNozzo and hers is Yelina Salas. Tony works for the PD in Philadelphia and Yelina for Miami PD. That's about all I know. You can probably tell me more, you went to high school with him right?//"

_"//Not really. He may have been a senior when I was a freshman, but he was in military school at the time. I remember hearing about it though. The baby, who I guess was you, was kidnapped while Louie was in high school. It was a pretty big scandal.//"_

"//Would Uncle Louie know more about them? He would have been Tony's age right?//" Xander asked frowning.

_"//Maybe. I'm not sure if they hung out much though. Try and see.//"_ Danny paused before adding on, _"//Xander remember, that no matter what, you're still my nephew. Just because Jess kidnapped you doesn't change the fact you're still the same kid I would tell stories to when you would visit New York.//"_

Xander felt himself smile at those happy memories. Even after Danny got disowned, his mom would still let Xander spend time with his uncle. "//Thanks Uncle Danny.//"

_"//No problem kid. Family's family.//"_

"//Even when you don't agree with them?//"

_"//Even then. 'Night Xander.//"_

"//Good night Uncle Danny, sorry to wake you up.//" Xander smiled softly at Danny's grumbles as he hung up. It was nice to know that Danny would still be his uncle even though he's not.

!!!!!  
Wednesday, June 16 1999

Xander smiled warily at the couple who were claiming to be his real parents. It was strange to the extreme. "So what do we do now?"

"I... we would like to get to know you. Maybe you can come and stay with one of us for a while," Yelina said, an order underlying her request.

Xander's smile grew more sincere as he heard that. In some ways, what little he had seen of her over the last couple days, she reminded him of Joyce in a lot of ways. Tough as nails, but still without losing what made her a lady.

"Or you can stay with one, and then go stay with the other for a while. We can't force you to, you are seventeen and graduated, but we would at least like the chance to be your parents."

Xander nodded thoughtfully. "So if you don't mind my asking, you seem kinda young to be my parents."

Tony laughed wryly, "We were fourteen and in love."

"And now?"

"And now older and friends," Yelina said smiling slightly.

"So any step-parents or siblings I should know about?"

Tony shook his head. "Not from me, I never got far enough to marry after Yelina. And I don't have any other kids."

"I married Raymond Caine who's a detective and we had a son Ray Jr., not to mention my brother-in-law Horatio Caine, who works as a CSI in the crime lab," Yelina explained.

"Sounds like you have good family," Xander tentatively offered.

Tony and Yelina laughed. "Don't worry; they'll want to meet you too."

Tony nodded in understanding, "So will the people I work with in Philadelphia."

Xander grinned nervously. "So Alejandro?"

"Yes, though we'll call you Xander if you wish."

Xander gave them a thoughtful look before shaking his head ruefully. "I think I like the idea of you calling me Alejandro. Seems more special."

Yelina gave Xander a pleased smile. "Thank you Alejandro."

"Yeah, thanks." Tony gave Xander a pleased smile.

"...So any idea why m... Jessica insisted I be raised bilingual in Italian?"

!!!!!  
Saturday, June 19 1999

Xander limped after his parents as they exited the plane in Miami, having decided to stay with Yelina for now. Tony had come along to spend a few more days getting to know him before heading back to Philadelphia.

"Need help?" Tony offered.

"Nah, I'm good. I got it." Xander gave his dad a grin. "So we have a ride or we roughing it?"

"Ray's meeting us here," Yelina said as she took Xander's carryon and handed it to Tony. "And you'll keep that sling on, Alejandro! Your arm is broken in two places!" The order was said with a small glare, already acquainted with her older son's stubbornness.

Xander winced at his mom's preempting his plans. "Okay mom."

Tony patted Xander softly on the shoulder. "Listen to your mother. It'll make your life a lot easier."

"Always a wise policy," Yelina said dryly as they continued down the terminal.

"So what's Uncle Horatio like?" Xander asked, as he fidgeted with his sling again. "I heard all about Ray and Ray Jr., but not much about the uncle."

"You'll find out soon enough. There he is, with Ray and your brother." Yelina pointed to where a red haired man in a suit and sunglasses stood with a brunette man who was a little younger and a boy around seven.

"Mom!" the boy, Ray Jr. exclaimed as he ran up and hugged his mother. "This is Xander and Tony?"

"Yes, Detective Tony DiNozzo, Alejandro DiNozzo, meet Detective Raymond Caine, Ray Jr. Salas, and Detective Horatio Caine1."

Xander waved tentatively with his free hand. "Hey."

"Nice to meet you finally," Tony said shaking first Horatio then Ray's hands.

"Likewise Detective DiNozzo," Horatio said.

"Please, just Tony."

Ray grunted as he put a possessive arm around his wife's waist.

"Well this is nice and awkward. I believe I was promised food for being good?" Xander whined playfully easing the tension.

Ray Jr. laughed. "So you're really my brother?"

"That's what they tell me. But I'm new, so you're going to have to be my guide to mom fielding."

"Hey, hey; no ganging up on me." Yelina smiled seeing her boys actually getting along better than she had hoped.

"Listen to your mother; for she controls this wondrous, mythical place known as the kitchen; where the food lives." Tony said.

"Let's get your bags and we can get going," Horatio said herding the group towards the baggage claim.

"Coolness. So I get shotgun." Xander grinned as he prodded Ray Jr. slightly.

"What? No!"

"Yeah-huh! I called dibs."

"That's so not fair!" the bickering continued much to the adult's bemusement.

!!!!!  
Monday, June 21 1999

"So what's he like?" Speed asked as he looked into a microscope.

Horatio looked over at him confused. "Who?"

Speed looked up and gave him an 'aren't you paying attention' look. "Yelina's other son, Alejandro?"

"Vivacious. Seventeen. He talked Ray Jr. into taking him to a comic book store during dinner. They're doing that today." Horatio paused before shaking his head. "Dangerous if provoked."

"Dangerous?"

"He's very familiar with S-files. Tony joked about using Xander as a consultant for those last night. Sounds like it might be a good idea." Horatio smiled slightly at his friend's surprised expression. "Yelina's introducing everyone on the Fourth."

!!!!!  
Sunday, July 4 1999

"Come on Babylon 5 is awesome! They allude to stuff in the first episode that's explained seasons later, and they planned it that way!1" Xander argued with Tony.

"I'll give you that, but you have to admit that it is rather political," Tony pointed out.

"Of course it is; it takes place in the space version of the UN," Xander argued.

Frank shook his head as he listened to the father and son argue over something he'd never heard of before. "That's not what I was thinking I would see," he said taking a drink of his beer.

"He's kinda cool," Ray Jr. commented as he filled his plate from the table next to Frank. "He's going to teach me how to sword fight."

"And Latin," Xander added in as he reached over Ray's shoulder to grab some chips. "Hey, I'm Xander, or Alejandro. Whichever works for you."

"Frank Tripp. Latin?" Frank said as he shook the teen's hand.

"It can be surprisingly useful." Xander gave the older man a grin. "A woman always appreciates a man with a well rounded education."

"So you play an instrument?" Frank asked amused by the boy's wit.

"Guitar."

"Cool, can you teach me?" Ray asked bouncing slightly.

"Maybe. We'll see what we can do when my stuff gets here."

!!!!!  
Tuesday, July 6 1999

"So how was your trip?" Tony's partner asked as he settled into his desk.

"Pretty good, got to know Alejandro and settle him in with his mom and brother."

"So who's Alejandro?"

"My son: Alejandro Lavelle DiNozzo; or Xander as he prefers to called." Tony grinned.

"I didn't know you had a son."

"You don't know everything about me, but yes I have a son. He turns eighteen this August. He decided to stay with his mom in Miami for right now, but he's coming up for Thanksgiving."

!!!!!  
Saturday, September 19 1999

"Yeah, I found it," Xander said looked at the notes he had made. "You'll need a bronze knife to stab it in the heart; which is luckily in the same place as on a human."

_"Anything else you can tell me?"_ Tony asked.

"Yeah, they... Ray-ray put that back. Go look at the semi-nude etchings or something." Xander called over to brother who had just grabbed one of Xander more graphic demon texts. "Sorry. This kind of demon is a solitary hunter normally, but they have been known to hunt in groups of up to five. Not much stronger than a human, but they can breathe water so draw it away from wherever it's hiding."

_"So we need bait?"_

"Yeah, according to this, eels work best. It's haut cuisine to them. Also if you could, can you get me the venom pouches before you dispose of the body? It's a useful spell component," Xander requested.

_"Disposal?"_ Tony questioned.

"Fire's best. Also I recommend using some holy water and a minor blessing on the places you kill it and dispose of body just to be safe."

_"What kind of blessing? Like with a priest?"_

"I'll email you the ritual to use along with a list of supplies to keep on hand. It's a good thing to know. It helps disperse the energy at least somewhat. If you're not comfortable doing it get someone else to do it. It's very much not Catholic."

_"It still requires faith?"_

"It'll only help. So whoever does it should at least have faith in magic being real."

_"I can do it. Send it to my account and I'll get the stuff, and extra. It'll be okay to keep in my trunk?"_

"Yeah, it'll be fine. That's why I recommend this one."

_"That it on whatever-it-is?"_

"Yeah, except for some academic stuff."

_"Alright, I'll talk to you tonight. Wait, I don't have to actually hold the knife right? It can be thrown?"_

"Yeah that's fine. Get a few backups just in case. Later dad. Good luck slaying."

_"Later Alejandro,"_ Tony said before he hung up.

Xander hung up the phone and looked back over at a wide-eyed Ray Jr. who was doing as he suggested. Xander grinned glad that the etchings showed less than a comic would. "Find anything good?"

"I can't believe you have actual etchings," Ray Jr. said. "I thought they were just myths."

"Nope, just rare. But these have some spells coded on them," Xander said as he stood up and stretched.

"I can't believe mom lets you keep this stuff here." Ray Jr.'s eyes widened when he looked at the next page. "Wow."

"The etchings or demon texts?"

"The demon texts."

"Mom's taken the Harris' stance on that sort of thing, and at least this way I hunt less. Besides, this is helping the department, so they actually know what things are and how to handle them. It also gives me some much needed cash for collage."

"It's pretty cool that you're getting paid for this."

"Yeah, that definitely a good thing; and my client base is growing to. I got to help one of the New York labs last week."

"So I can learn this stuff?" Ray Jr. asked hopefully.

"You'll have to okay it with mom first, but I don't mind. The help would be much appreciated."

"Though I don't think I want to read this." Ray Jr. said holding up a romance novel that he found in one of the piles of books.

"Hey, someone slipped that in the boxes. It's not mine."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

The two brothers got into a stare off that last a long moment before Ray Jr. bolted from Xander's room with his brother hot on his heels, though Xander held back to draw out the game.

"Get back here Ray-ray!"

"Not a chance!"

The two of them ended up running around the kitchen table until Ray Jr. ran into Ray, who had just stepped into the room. The two of them ended up in a pile on the floor.

"Sorry." Ray scrambled off of his unmoving father hurriedly.

"I think he hit his head on the jam." Xander crouched down to check his step-dad's head. "Damn. He did. Get mom and see what she wants us to do."

Ray nodded and ran off to do as his brother ordered.

!!!!!  
Friday, November 5 1999

Xander grinned as he slipped into his dad's car in the airport parking lot. "Thanks for letting me come up."

Tony gave his son a reassuring smile as he playfully ruffled his hair. "Hey, I love getting the chance to spend more time with you, Alejandro."

"Thanks. I thought it was a good time to visit."

"Work'll be okay?"

"Yeah, they can get a hold of me though my email, or on my cell if it's an emergency."

"Won't you need your books?"

"Nah, if I don't know what it is I can call Giles."

"What about your books?"

"I sealed my room before I left so no worries there, mostly."

"Good. At least you're smart about it." Tony smiled at the bashful/pleased grin Xander gave him.

"Come on, let's go home. You can set your room how you want. I expect you to visit fairly often."

"Thanks dad."

!!!!!  
Sunday, November 7 1999

Tony looked over at Xander who was fidgeting nervously on the couch. "Alejandro, something wrong?"

Xander jumped, startled. "No, sorry. It's just... I kinda need your advice on something."

"Big?" Tony asked arching his eyebrows in surprise.

Xander chuckled nervously. "I think so. Um..."

Tony shook his head in amusement. "Come in and wash the vegetables and tell me what's bothering you. Maybe I can help."

Xander jumped up and went to do as he was ordered as Tony continued preparing the rest of dinner. After a long silence, only disrupted by the sounds of their work did Xander finally speak up again, "//Umm... I mentioned how I had run into Uncle H's friend Speed in a bookstore a couple time's right?//"

"//Yeah. You said you had fun talking to him, you two hung out a little right?//" Tony asked curious as to where this was going, especially with Xander slipping into Italian.

"//Um, yeah... I kinda...//" Xander trailed off and muttered something to soft for Tony to make out, his face a bright red.

"//Well that was as clear as a whisper during a Marilyn Manson concert.//"

Xander laughed softly. "//Right... Um... I think I have a... crush. Only small one but...//"

"//Wait, stop. Let me get this straight, you met Speed at a bookstore a few times and started to hang out a little and now you have a crush.//"

"//Yeah. So what do I do?//"

"//Depends on how much of a crush we're talking about here. Not to mention, isn't he my age?//"

Xander gave Tony a disbelieving look. "//I just said I have a crush on a _guy_, and you don't mind?//"

"//Alejandro, I'd be a hypocrite if I minded. Though I take it you're coming out to me because you're not sure how your mom will react.//"

Xander nodded slowly. "//Yeah, I love mom and everything but she's _mom_. I'm only going to let her know I like someone when I'm ready to introduce them.//"

Tony laughed, "//Probably a good idea with Yelina. Back on subject though, how much do you like Speed?//"

Xander's receding flush flared back to its previous vibrancy. "//Kinda a lot.//"

"//Like you just like to hang out with him, or like you want to date him?//"

"//Date?//" Xander squeaked out.

"//Well from what I've seen and heard of him you have good taste.//"

"//So you really don't mind?//"

"//No, I really don't mind. Neither will your mother. It has come up in conversation before.//" Tony couldn't help laughing at Xander's horrified look. "//We were speculating over how you might have turned out and it came up. Ray might mind, I don't know about Horatio, but I don't mind.//"

"//So you really think mom won't mind either?//"

"//She might mind somewhat. But then, she does want grandchildren. So do I, but I won't insist okay?//"

"//Okay.//"

"//Good now get the chicken out of the stove.//"

"//Sure... Um... can you tell mom for me?//"

"//I thought you didn't want Yelina to know unless you were ready to introduce them?//"

"//I think mom'll notice. She's really good at what she does, and if she doesn't Uncle H will.//"

"//Good points.//" Tony laughed as he shook his head. He was glad that Xander was getting more comfortable with him. The Italian conversation was a good sign.

!!!!!  
Monday, November 8 1999

_"How is Alejandro?"_ Yelina asked in Spanish.

"He's doing good. Worried about telling you about his crush though," Tony replied in kind as he sat in his car during his lunch break.

_"Really? Do you know on who?"_

"Not only do I know, he's asked me to tell you for him."

_"Is it that bad?"_

"Well, he has good taste at least. He says he has a crush on Speedle."

Yelina was silent for a long moment before slowly replying, _"So he takes after you like that?"_

"Apparently. You okay with it? He's really worried, though he won't say anything."

_"He's my son. You're right; at least he has good taste. So is this going to stay a quiet crush, or is he going to make a try for Speed?"_ Yelina asked a bit of amusement creeping into her voice.

"I'm not sure yet. Though do you think Speedle has any interests on that side? It's better for Alejandro to at least know if he has a chance."

_"Am I'm I the only one finding it odd we're thinking seriously of setting our son up with one of my coworkers?"_

Tony chuckled. "No you're not the only one. I'm just glad he's showing good taste."

_"Don't want to compete with your son?"_

"Nope." Tony grinned amused. "Alejandro is much younger and prettier than I am."

_"You admit that someone's better looking than you? My, how you've grown up."_

"With you as a mother I stand no chance."

_"Always the flatter Tony."_

"Ever and always. So how's the rest of the family?"

_"Fine. Ray Jr. misses his big brother, but fine."_

!!!!!  
November 1999 (Thanksgiving)

Xander walked out of his room as he heard the front door open.

"Alejandro?" Tony's voice called from the front of the apartment.

"Yeah?" Xander walked into the living room and blinked in surprise at not finding his father alone. "Um... Hi. Dad?" Xander looked over at his dad in askance.

"Alejandro let me introduce you to your godfather and one of my oldest friends, Martin Fitzgerald. Martin, this is Alejandro. We're going to be having Thanksgiving together."

Xander's face cleared at the introduction. "Oh, hey, you could came. Dad wasn't sure if you would." Xander reached out and shook the other mans hand. "Nice to meet you."

Martin nodded, "I managed to get down here. You do consulting."

"Yeah, for S-files." Xander tilted his head at the tightening of Martin's expression. "Bad experience?"

"Aren't they always?"

"No, sometimes there just weird." Xander grinned. "So did you date dad?"

Martin's face paled at the question, but before he could say anything Tony broke in, "Yes, and we've moved on. Did you check the turkey while I was at the airport?"

Xander nodded and followed his dad into the kitchen where they went about preparing the rest of the food. After a few minutes Martin joined them and even joined in on the banter.

By the end of the night Martin had relaxed and was enjoying himself. He didn't even mind sleeping on a pallet in the living room, because Xander had claimed the miniscule guest room. His godson hadn't turned out how he had thought he would, but that was probably a good thing. One sure thing though, he had every bit of Tony's charm.

!!!!!  
Thursday, December 23 1999

A sweats clad Xander grunted as he opened the front door of the house only to grin seeing his dad and Horatio standing on the front step. "//Hey. You're a whole day early.//"

"//I wanted to surprise you.// So can we come in?" Tony asked returning Xander's enthusiastic hug.

Xander took the hint and switched back to English. "Sure. Uncle H, you could have warned me." Xander gave Horatio a dark look as he ushered the two men inside. "No bags?" Xander asked in surprise.

"Horatio's putting me up, so I don't put too much of a strain on your mom. So how've you been? You look tired." Tony worriedly eyed his son.

"Yeah you woke me up. Mom and Ray-ray are out shopping, and I don't know where Ray is. Drink?" Xander asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Coffee would be good." Tony said as he sat on the couch and Horatio in a chair.

"You got another case?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, I gave them what I found after about five hours of research. They called me at two last night. I'm still thankful I insisted on me own line, and that I found that soundproofing spell." Xander explained as he bustled around the kitchen.

"So the consulting is working out for you?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, especially since I'm getting a bit of a reputation. I live by word of mouth. It's helping pay the bills."

"So you're going to keep it up?" Tony asked pleased.

"Yeah, I'm doing a lot of good, and allowing people to actually know _what_ they're dealing with."

"So you know what you're going to do?" Horatio asked.

"I think I want to continue this consulting thing. I was thinking of trying for being a cop, but I think I'm better at this." Xander grinned as he walked in and handed the two men their mugs.

"I'm looking forward to see what you do." Horatio encouraged.

"Thanks." Xander beamed at his dad and uncle. "So are we going fishing while you're here?"

!!!!!  
Saturday, December 25 1999

Tony groaned as he flopped down on Horatio's couch and threw an arm over his eyes. The day had been exhausting, starting with meeting the others for Christmas Mass, then the rest of the day at Yelina's house celebrating.

Horatio chuckled taking in the sight as he tiredly put down his gifts in the living room. "Tired?"

"I forgot how exhausting family Christmas' are," Tony grumbled.

"Worth it though."

"Yeah it was. Xander loved his gift." Tony smiled at the look on Xander's face when he was handed to the keys to his own jeep. It needed work, but he had several offers, including from Tony, to help him fix it up.

Horatio smiled. "It was a good idea for everyone to chip in and buy him that. I know he felt bad about asking for rides. Beer?"

"Thanks." Tony lowered his arm and gave Horatio a thankful smile as he accepted the bottle. "I'm just sorry I have to leave tomorrow."

"At least you could come down," Horatio said taking a seat next to the brunette.

They sat quietly together drinking their beers before Tony spoke again. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him."

"He's a good kid. You and Yelina are very lucky."

"Even if Ray doesn't quite agree?"

"He's having to deal with a lot right now. He's handling it better than a lot of men would."

"For having a former boyfriend and teenaged step-son shoved in his face you mean. We talked tonight. Yelina and I..." Tony paused to gather the right words. "We ended a long time ago, and I don't think we could ever have that sort of relationship again. I don't think we would even still be talking if not for Alejandro."

Horatio nodded in understanding. "The past is sometimes just that."

"Exactly." The two shared a smile before going back to their comfortable silence.

!!!!!  
Sunday, December 26 1999

Xander looked back and forth between his dad and uncle in bemusement from where he sat in the back seat on they're to the airport. Something had changed since he saw them the day before, but he wasn't sure what.

They were just pulling into a stop light when it finally clicked. "You two had sex!"

Tony choked on the drink he had just taken. "Alejandro!" Tony whipped at his face where some coffee had come out of his nose.

"Sorry. Just... I'm right, you did!" Xander grinned; glad he had finally figured out what had been bothering him. "Cool."

"Cool?" Horatio asked giving Xander a look in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, cool. Uncle H, the light's green." Xander prodded.

Horatio started down the road again before asking, "Care to explain why that's cool, Alejandro?"

"It just is. Though I'm not sure how mom'll take it. Or Ray for that matter." Xander shrugged. "Was it a casual thing or are you going to start dating?"

"Alejandro, Yelina is well aware that I'm bi. She helped me through my freak out when I figured it out. She even set me up with my first boyfriend." Tony grinned at the incredulous looks the other two gave him. "She did. Also, it was casual. Long distance relationships suck majorly."

Xander nodded. "Okay."

Horatio turned his gaze back to Xander briefly before turning his attention back to the road. "I can see the resemblance."

"What?" the question was asked with matching innocent looks directed at him.

Horatio couldn't help but laugh in amusement.

!!!!!  
Friday, January 7 2000

"DiNozzo."

_"//Dad it-it's bad.//"_ Xander shaky voice came from the phone.

Tony sat up from where he was slouched on his couch. "//Alejandro, what's wrong?//"

_"//Ray got shot on a case last night. He... he died. Mom's not handling it well. I'm watching Ray-ray right now. I... dad?//"_

Tony blew out a breath not expecting that. "//How are you?//"

_"//I'm okay. The funerals on Sunday. I'm worried about Uncle H, dad. He's being strong for everyone, especially mom and Ray-ray, but...//"_

"//I'll be down for the funeral. Tell your mom okay?//"

_"//I will. Dad...//"_

"//I know Alejandro. I'll talk to you tomorrow with the details okay?//"

_"//Okay. Dad... tell me a story?//"_

Tony's heart broke at the pain in Xander's voice. He spent the next couple hours talking to his son. All the while worrying about what this would do to his still fragile family.

!!!!!  
Sunday, January 9 2000

Tony eyed Horatio worriedly. "How are you dealing?"

"He was my brother."

Tony shifted uncomfortable for a moment before placing a hand on the redheads shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything okay?"

Horatio nodded. "Just help me forget for a little while."

Tony's arms came around Horatio's shoulders. "I can at least do that much."

!!!!!  
During Buffy, after Faith woke up.  
I'm guessing around February 2000.

"What do you want?" Faith asked warily as Xander sat down next to her at the bus stop.

"How about we talk? Things have changed a lot since you were last around."

"Like how?" Faith eyed the other teen with suspicious eyes as he gave her a bemused smile.

"Well for one the Harris' weren't my real parents. I'm living with my real mom who's a cop in Miami."

"And yet you're here in Sunnydale?"

"I came back to visit actually." Xander gave Faith a look before sighing. "Look Faith, I've got an idea for you. Two Slayers in the same territory is a bad idea of epic kind. So why don't you head out to Miami with me? We can do with a Slayer, and you'll have back up."

"How do you know I won't mess up?"

"You won't. Look we messed up big with you. You should have your own territory and reputation. We treated you like Buffy's hanger on. So come out to Miami and make your own life. I'll introduce you to my family. You can help me with my work too." Xander gave Faith a grin. "I work as a consultant for the cops. They come to me when they get the weird shit and I get paid. Not much, but some."

"It's at least a plan." Faith had to concede that, though it galled her.

"Yeah. Look you'll have to stay in town a couple more days but you can hide out at my hotel. Then you can fly out with me this weekend."

Faith gave Xander a suspicious look, "What do you want in return."

Xander shook his head. "Not that. I'm kinda seeing someone. I just want you to try to make it work. Maybe get a job. Which will, by the way put you one up on Buffy."

Faith laughed at the admittedly weak joke. "You're something different X."

Faith and Xander sat in silence as she thought over Xander's offer. Finally she turned and looked at him, "So I'll get a free ride out to Miami?"

"Yeah. It'd be nice if you'd someday pay me back, but you don't have to. You willing to try on your own, out from under Buffy's manicured shadow?"

"I'll give it a try. So tell me about this family of yours."

Xander got up and led Faith back to his hotel telling her all about his new family. He even got some real laughs; especially when he referred to Horatio as an 'angry saint'. He had a feeling that Faith needed this; a chance to be out on her own again, away from Sunnydale and its expectations.

Xander leafed casually through a demon text as he dialed his cell with his other hand. Faith was asleep on the hotel bed across the small room from him.

"Horatio?" his nominal uncle's voice answered.

"Hey Uncle H. I need some help." Xander stopped and arched his eyebrows at the image on one of the pages. _'Kinky.'_

"With what?" curiosity edged Horatio's voice. Experience told him Xander could be anything from choosing a pizza toping to helping dispose of a body. Though admittedly it had been a demon body that had been bipedal but not much more human than that and had preyed on children; but still.

"Faith woke up." Xander explained. "So I'm thinking of taking her out to Miami, but I'm not quite sure what to do beyond that. It's not like I can take her home. Mom and her would... clash. Violently." Xander stopped on another picture and stuck a post it to the page before continuing on. "I was wondering if you could think of something."

Horatio was silent for a long moment as he thought over Xander's request. "How old is she?"

"I don't know." Xander frowned thoughtfully before cringing softly at his estimate. "Fifteen, maybe sixteen. She's a runaway to."

"Parents?" Horatio prodded.

"Don't think so. From what I remember, she mentioned staying with her Watcher in Boston before she was killed. The Watcher not Faith."

"Hmm... I'll see what I can find out." Horatio paused before continuing, "Alejandro?"

"Yeah, uncle H?"

"Try to be careful."

Xander grinned at the concern in his uncle's voice. "I will. Call me with what you get."

"Goodbye."

"Bye." Xander ended the call and looked over and meeting Faith's eyes. "What do you think?"

"You're a good guy X." she drawled out, voice still slightly husky from sleep.

"I try to be."

!!!!!  
A Few Days Later

Xander led the nervous-but-hiding-it Faith towards where his mom stood at the terminal. "Hi mom." He enveloped the smiling Yelina in a hug.

"Alejandro, welcome home." She pulled back and looked over at the watching girl. "This is Faith?"

"Yeah, Faith this is my mom Detective Yelina Salas, with the Miami-Dade police. Mom, this is Faith Lehane."

"Horatio's waiting for us at the house."

Xander jumped to his feet as Faith and Horatio exited the courtroom. "So how'd it go?"

"Good." Horatio replied giving the jittering teen a bemused smile. "We can move her in today."

"Yeah, boytoy, you think you can handle me as a cousin?" Faith asked punching Xander lightly on the shoulder.

"I don't know, you think you can handle high school?" Xander grinned at the horrified look Faith shot him. While she was distracted he darted in and hugged her. "Welcome to the family almost-cuz. We're having a housewarming barbeque tonight."

"Get off." An embarrassed Faith pushed Xander off of her as she tried not to blush. "So does this mean I got to call H dad?"

Horatio patted the girl on the shoulder. "Only if you want to. Either way you _will_ follow the rules."

Faith gave Ray Jr. a confused smile as he babbled off on something to her. Looking around briefly she saw that everyone was having a good time, having finished moving her few things into her room at Horatio's house and now lingering either inside or in the back.

"Faith! Ray-ray! Hey, you guys doing good?" Xander asked as he walked up with a plateful of food.

"Five by five, X." Faith gave Xander a grateful smile when he passed off the plate to her and picked up his brother in a hug.

"Xander!" the boy giggled as he wrapped his arms around Xander's tank top clad shoulders. "Where were you?"

"I was off getting Faith a present. It's inside with Speed. You been good?" Xander nuzzled Ray's tousled hair playfully.

"Yup!"

"I don't think that's very sincere. Faith?" Xander gave her a playful grin. "Has Ray-ray been good?"

Faith couldn't help laughing. "He's been fine. What's this present?"

"Well, why don't we go find out? I seem to have completely forgotten what I got you." Xander tightened his arms briefly before setting Ray on the ground again.

"Xander!" Ray's voice dripped with childish exasperation. "You always do that!"

"I know. I'm tragically young to be having memory problems. Unfortunately here we are with Faith eating my food." Xander said as he put a hand in the small of Faith's back and on Ray's shoulder as he guided them inside the house.

Faith elbowed him in the gut in retaliation but didn't pull away from his gentle touch. "Here Little X." Faith said as she handed over a piece of chicken to the pouting boy.

"Thanks Faith!" Anything else he was going to say was obscured by him taking a bite of his food to keep Xander from getting it.

"Hey." Speed cheerfully greeted them from the couch as the three entered the living room.

"Faith, boys." Horatio gave them a soft smile as he turned to look at them from his seat on the coffee table.

"X says you have a present for me?" Faith asked. She was still bemused by Xander dating not only a guy, but a guy so much older; and a geek-cop at that.

Horatio nodded and held up his hands displaying that he had been holding a Russian blue1 kitten with a yellow bow around its neck. "Welcome to the family Faith."

Speed gave her an encouraging smile. "The stuff for her is in the garage."

Faith didn't even notice Xander removing the plate from her hands as she stared in shock at the kitten.

Later Faith found herself sitting on the couch between Speed and Xander cuddling the newly named Patches and sleeping Ray, watching some movie on TV.

As the three of them MST3K'd the movie, it struck her that she had finally found a home of her own.

!!!!!  
Wednesday, May 3 2000

Xander shifted his duffle nervously as he stood waiting for his uncle to pick him up from the train station. It had been nice spending a couple weeks with his dad after helping take down the Initiative. Now though, he was to spend the next year in New York staying with his Uncle Danny while studying under a sorcerer Giles had gotten him in contact with.

"Xander!" Danny called as he pulled to a stop on the curb. "Climb in."

Xander grinned as he tossed his bag in the back before getting into the car. "//Thanks for taking me in.//"

"//It's okay. So what are you doing that you need to be in New York for the next year?//"

"//I'm being briefly apprenticed to a sorcerer up here in how magic and the law interact. He's a cop of some sort. I'm meeting him on Friday to discuss details.//"

"//Sounds... more boring than your usual.//" Danny mused as he pulled out into New York traffic.

Xander laughed and shook his head. "//It's more complicated, but that's the brief explanation. Giles helped set it up. Apparently his family and the Watchers have had dealings in the past.//"

"//So how's your parents taking this?//" Danny asked.

"//Neither are exactly happy with it, but they understand that I need to do this.//" Xander sighed as he leaned back in his seat and started to catch up with his uncle.

!!!!!  
Friday, May 5 2000

Xander looked up and smiled at the man who sat down across from him at his table in the cafe. "Mac Taylor?"

"Correct. Nice to meet you Mr. DiNozzo." Mac shook Xander's proffered hand. "I hope you found a place to stay."

"Yeah, I'm staying with my uncle Danny. My stuff should be getting here tomorrow."

"Good. You do what I asked?"

"Yeah, here's all the magic I know I've that I've been involved with in one way or another." Xander handled over a folder. "Though there are probably some I don't know about."

"Smart. We'll do that on our next meeting." Mac started looking through the folder as Xander stirred his drink. "Looks like you have a firm grasp of what _not_ to do."

"Yeah, I saw a lot of that. Anything I should know? I mean I know your Uncle Danny's boss, and a sorcerer but that's about it."

"Well in my line of work magic is a last resort, even if it wasn't in my particular discipline," Mac pointed out.

Xander nodded. "I get that. It's why I chose you to mentor under. I _need_ to know this stuff for my consulting, but I don't want to rely on it. Magic using cops aren't exactly common, thus my job is necessary."

Mac laughed, "That's true. At first you're going to be doing a lot of bookwork though. I'm going to be having you do papers on things a lot. Think you can handle it?"

"You took a look at my school record I take it?" at Mac's nod Xander grinned. "Ask Uncle Danny about what I did when I was ten." Xander was about to say more when his cell started ringing. "Hello... Send it to my email and I'll get on it." Flipping his phone closed he gave Mac an apologetic grin. "Sorry, I have to go. Work calls."

"Nice to meet you Mr. DiNozzo. I'll give your uncle the details."

"Thanks. Later." Xander waved as he trotted off to go to the library.

!!!!!  
Saturday, May 6 2000

"Danny, your nephew said I should ask you what he did when he was ten?" Mac asked as Danny entered his office at his gesture.

"Which thing? Xander did a lot of things when he was ten." Danny frowned as he tried to think of what in specific it could have been.

"Something about his grades?"

Danny shook his head in exasperation. "Oh that. When he was ten he actually calculated how much he would have to do to get a C average in his best friend Willow's classes so he can stay with her in high school, but coast by. I didn't want him to do it, but Jessica allowed it," Danny explained to his bemused boss.

"So his grades aren't accurate?"

"Not even close. Xander's smart, but he did that because he could. His friend Willow was one of the smartest students in the school, and he always had class with her. He didn't pay much attention, and he skipped a lot but he had classes with her that weren't like gym. I'm hoping it'll be different when he starts collage next year."

Mac nodded. "Anything else I should be aware of?"

"Don't expect him on Sunday mornings or other big mass days. He's big on his praying. I'll be going with him when I can."

Mac nodded as he handed over a paper. "Here's his first assignment and contact information for me. Give it to him when you see him. I expect his first paper in three days."

Danny nodded as he went off to do his work after folding the paper and putting it in his pocket. He only hoped Yelina wasn't right about Xander's books sometimes taking over the house.

!!!!!  
Sunday, May 21 2000

Xander smiled and nodded as he listened to Danny's eighty-year-old neighbor chatter on about something that happened before his _parents_ were born. _'I really should have known better than to help her carry her groceries. Doesn't she have a grandkid living with her?'_

"Here we are Mr. DiNozzo." She said as she pulled out her keys to unlock her door and let Xander in before her. "You can just set them on the counter and..."

Whatever else she was going to say was cut off as Xander collapsed onto the floor after her granddaughter had thrown some sort of powder into his face while chanting something.

As Xander's world swiftly faded into black, he heard the woman slip into her native German as she started screaming at her granddaughter.

Danny looked down at his nephew where he was laying on his bed, before turning to his embarrassed and fuming neighbor and her abashed granddaughter. "So what was the spell supposed to do?" He felt a bit of vindictive pleasure at the shocked looks the two women gave him. "Look you can tell me, or his teacher when he gets here, but we need to know."

"You know magic is real?"

"I've seen a lot of weird things in my life. Not to mention Xander's up here to train under a sorcerer." Danny explained. "Look why don't you just tell me what it was _supposed_ to do, then you can explain it to Mac in greater detail."

The old woman nodded thoughtfully before prodding her granddaughter rather hard in the ribs.

"It was supposed to make grandmother remember what its like to be my age. Not... this." The girl gestured to the unconscious Xander, who was doing a rather good imitation of a corpse at the moment. You had to look closely to even see his chest rise and fall as he slept.

"You...!" The old woman turned and started berating the girl in rapid-fire and loud German.

Danny watched for several minutes before he went to answer the door hoping it was Mac arriving and not one of the other neighbors complaining about the noise.

"Mac, hey." Danny gave the older man a relieved smile. "Just follow the screaming and you'll find Xander."

Mac nodded as he followed Danny through the apartment to Xander's room. Things moved swiftly after that, especially when the woman handed over the spell book.

Danny walked into Xander's room and brought Mac a cup of coffee. Danny had to pause and take in the scene; Mac was sitting at the desk surrounded by books, either opened or piled, as well as a notebook he was writing his notes in and the girls with her notes. It gave Danny a glimpse of what Mac must have looked like when he was in school. "Hey."

Mac looked up and gave Danny a tired smile. "Thanks." Mac held up the cup briefly before taking a sip.

"I called Claire. She said Dawn's down for the night, and if you need anything to call her." Danny said as he sat down on the edge of Xander's bed and eyed his nephew. "Do you know what she did?"

Mac sighed and nodded before explaining, "The spell, translated is 'Life Returns'. She didn't have a very good dictionary. What she thought it would do, and it actually does where two very different things."

"Well I know what she _thought_ it did, so what did it actually do?" Danny asked frowning slightly.

"At its simplest, it brings back one of a person's past lives. Like a possession, only it is just another former version of them rather than someone else."

"Wait, wait, past life regression? For real?" Danny asked surprised. "There's actually a spell for that?"

"Yes, in some cases, especially if you know who a person _was_, it can be a good thing. I can give you a list of cases later if you want of the spell being necessary. The problem here is that we don't know who Xander was." Mac sighed and rubbed his forehead. "According to the book, his past life, whoever they are, will be in control for about a week as they merge together, more of present-him returning with each day. It's actually a very advanced and powerful version of this type of spell."

Danny blew out a tired breathe as he thought over the information. "So, knowing Xander, he's either going to be some bad guy, or on the other end a saint?"

Mac smiled slightly. "That's were the intent comes into play."

"Intent?" Danny asked confused.

"Magic depends a lot on intent. The intent of the caster can warp a spell a great deal. With this specific spell, the intended outcome of the caster determines which life is drawn out of the soul's memory. Since the girl wanted her grandmother to experience her life in her late teens again, the life will probably be fairly close personality-wise."

Danny nodded slowly as he looked down at Xander again. "So all we have to worry about really is what time he lived in then? I mean things are a lot different now from any other time period."

"At first, things will merge together over the next week after he wakes up." Mac shut the spell book and leaned back in his chair. "Right now, all we can do is wait for him to wake up."

Danny nodded again as he stood up. "Why don't you go home then? I can wait here and call you when he wakes up."

Mac left soon after that leaving Danny wandering around his apartment cleaning up some of the clutter. Finally, unable to think of anything else to do he got some bedding and went to sleep on Xander's floor.

!!!!!  
Monday, May 22 2000

When Danny woke up the next morning; he was stiff and felt someone staring at him. Turning over he found Xander sitting cross-legged on the bed with one of his swords across his knees, just watching him with hooded eyes.

"Xander?" Danny asked sitting up slowly.

Xander's dark head tilted slightly either in acknowledgement or curiosity he wasn't sure.

"Right. Do you speak English?" Danny asked hopefully. Not seeing any comprehension Danny sighed. "It _wouldn't_ be that simple." Climbing to his feet he slowly made his way over to the bed and as non-threatening as possible picked up the bedside phone. Leaving a terse, "He's awake." On Mac's answering machine Danny replaced the phone to it cradle.

"//Do you understand me?//" Danny finally asked in Italian.

Xander frowned slightly as he slowly nodded after a slight hesitation.

"//What's your name?//" Danny was careful to speak slowly, wondering how much was actually understood.

"//Geoffrey D'Armand1.//"

"//What year were you born?//"

Xander frowned but answered, "//1213.//"

"//You hungry?//"

Xander nodded again and followed Danny into the kitchen.

!!!!!  
Sunday, June 4 2000

Xander frowned as he looked out the window at the rain falling on the New York streets. Mass that day had been... interesting.

"Xander? You okay?" Danny asked taking a seat on the couch next to his nephew.

Xander looked over and gave Danny a slight smile, that was almost, but not quite a grimace. "It's been a strange year."

Danny nodded. "Defiantly. Want to talk about some of it?"

"This last thing was... different but not. It's kinda hard to explain." Xander grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. "I mean I've been possessed before; a couple times actually. This though..." Xander paused as he struggled to explain what he felt. "This was different."

"How's that?" Danny frowned thoughtfully. "I mean it's pretty much the same as the other times right? Well except for the merging aspect."

"For starters this time it was me, emphasis on the 'was' aspect." Xander blew out a tired breath. "Maybe that's what's bothering me. Geoffrey _was_ me once upon a time."

"I can see how that can be weird." Danny shook his head in disbelief at the week he had had dealing with Geoffrey. "Why don't you tell me about him? He was a Templar right?"

"Yeah, although I... he didn't spend much time in the Holy Land." Xander shook his head slightly. "This is going to be awkward."

"Just go with your first instinct. He _was_ you after all." Danny offered. "So if he wasn't off fighting in the Crusades, what was he doing instead?"

"Crusades1?" Xander muttered before raising his voice again. "I hunted demons. Myself and others traveled all over Europe and the Middle East doing that, even parts of northern Africa and Asia."

"Sounds interesting."

"Not as much as you would think; a lot of very boring traveling between places. I did that for nearly thirty years." Xander smiled vaguely at the memories, "There were the good parts. I had some good friends and companions."

"Sounds like you enjoyed it."

"I did. I loved it, so did the others I think."

"Were you guys any good?" Seeing Xander's confused look he clarified, "At demon hunting?"

"Yeah we were. Although you're not likely to really find much, if anything, on us outside of demonic circles. We kept civilians out of it as much as possible."

"You sure the demons remember you guys?" Danny asked worried that Xander was being arrogant.

A dark scowl crossed Xander's face as he glared out the window. "I would say that's a safe bet."

"Xander?"

"Sorry." Xander grimaced and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure they remember us with how they hunted us down."

"Hunted down?"

"Yeah. We had pissed off a lot of demons over the years, both collectively and individually; and after we hid that... _thing_ they took the opportunity to exterminate us. The hunters not the Templar's. Although now that I think about it they might have had something to do with that; I don't know."

"Thing?"

Xander slanted Danny a sardonic look, "I can't tell you. Literally. It's probably not there anymore anyway."

Danny nodded in understanding. "So tell me about your friends."

Accepting the subject shift Xander began telling story's about the Templar's he had traveled and hunted with over the years. "Well first there was my best friend Leander got us lost in Venice and found the one lesbian succubus in the entire debauched city..."

Xander spent a while telling Danny about some of the more amusing misadventures he'd had as Geoffrey.

!!!!!  
Tuesday, June 27 2000

Xander frowned as the doorbell rang. Marking his place with a post it he picked his way out of his room and answered the front door. "Dawn? Why are you here?"

"I'm running away. Daddy's being unreasonable." The ten-year-old1 pushed past him and into the apartment.

"Uh-huh. You _do_ know that I'm his student right? So it's my duty to tell him you're here?" Xander asked as he watched Dawn look over the books scattered about the apartment.

"So he'll know I'm okay and not freak. See I'm being smart about this." Dawn plopped down on the beat up couch. "So what're you doing?"

"Work. Look I'm going to call your mom okay? Don't leave." Xander ordered as he went to get the cordless from the kitchen. "Hi, Claire? It's Xander."

_"Hi. Is something wrong?"_

"Well Dawn's here claiming she's running away because Mac's being 'unreasonable'. I thought that was him being a good dad?"

_"I'll call Mac. Can you watch her 'til one of us gets there?"_

"No problem. I'll see you later."

_"Bye Xander."_

Xander hung up the phone and walked back into the living room. "Alright your mom said you can stay for right now. You can play a game if you want, read a book, or watch TV. Just don't leave okay? I really need to finish up."

"Thanks Xander," she said as she went to poke around.

"Don't expect it to last Dawn-monster. Be good okay?" Xander asked. At her nod he went back to research in his room, though he left the door open.

!!!!!  
Thursday, August 10 2000

"Oz? What are you doing here?" Xander asked in surprise at seeing the guitarist standing at next to his table at the library. Xander had come to research a paper Mac had assigned him.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, have a seat." Xander gestured to the seat next to his. "What's up? How'd you find me?"

Oz held up a medallion on a chain, "Giles. So consulting?"

"Yeah, I'm actually getting pretty good business. Why?"

"You need an assistant?" Oz asked, smiling slightly at Xander's surprised expression. "I need a job and boss that understands."

Xander nodded slowly thinking it over. "That _would_ leave me more time to study. You sure you want to do this? I mean it's got bad hours, crap pay that varies from month to month."

"Pretty much what we did in Sunnydale but with pay?" Oz quipped.

Xander chuckled softly. "Pretty much. Why would you want to work for me? Not that I can pay much."

Oz shrugged. "I got used to helping save the world. Besides, you gave Faith a purpose so I thought I'd try."

"You do know that I occasionally get hired by military right?" Xander pointed out gently reminding Oz of the Initiative and what he had suffered at their hands before Xander and the others had rescued him.

"Don't you usually talk to them over the phone or computer?" Oz asked.

"Usually, but I sometimes have to go there personally." Xander blew out a breath. "Look, how about we give it a try. Say a month?"

"That works."

"So do you mind helping do the computer stuff? I can do some, but you're nearly as good at computers as Willow." Xander sat back and talked to the slighter man for a little longer catching up.

"//Hey Uncle Danny, you here?//" Xander called out as he led Oz into the apartment, both of them carrying the results of his most recent raid of the library.

"//Kitchen,//" Danny's voice called out.

"Uncle Danny this is Oz, Oz my uncle Danny Messer, he's a CSI." Xander said introducing the two.

"Hey." Danny nodded in greeting as he eyed the other man.

"Hey." Oz nodded back as he shifted the pile of books he still held.

Xander set his own pile on the table before bouncing nervously on his feet. "So Oz is my new assistant with my consulting."

"Your assistant?" Danny asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he asked, and I _do_ need one, you said so yourself. He knows the work, so I thought we'd give it a try."

Danny nodded slowly. "You explain to him about the Templar thing?"

"Not yet. So can he stay here for a little while?" Xander asks after giving Oz a brief 'I'll explain later look.'

Danny sighed and nodded. "We'll talk to the manager tomorrow and see how it goes. Dinner'll be ready in thirty."

"Cool. C'mon Oz." Xander led Oz back to his room. "Just place your bag wherever."

Oz after looking around the crowded and cluttered room settled for sitting his duffle on top of a pile of boxes. "Templar?"

"Yeah, our neighbor's granddaughter did this spell that brought back memories of a previous life of mine. I was a Templar knight in the early twelve hundreds, still hunted demons and everything. I spent most of my time wandering Europe. I now as a result speak several languages eight hundred years out of date, as well as the type of magic I knew in that life. It's also out of date. Mac, my teacher, is looking for a shaman to teach me shamanism."

"Shamanism?" Oz asked listening to Xander's explanation.

"Yup."

"How's that different from what Willow does?" Oz asked frowning slightly.

"You sure you want that lecture?" At Oz's nod Xander blew out a breath before trying to explain. "Okay the way this works in this there are like six different types of magic. Witchcraft1, Sorcery, Crafters, Artisans, Summoning, and Shamanism. Witchcraft uses your personal energy to do magic. Sorcery uses an outside source, like ley lines, a magical creature, a place, or object. Crafters express their magic through making enchanted items, from rings up to castles depending on their medium. Artisans can be painters, bards or the like depending on their medium. Summoning is pretty self explanatory. Shamans deal with spirits mostly. Got that so far?"

At Oz's nod Xander went on to explain, "Now the thing is, if you live long enough and have the inclination you _can_ learn all six types, but a magic user will _always_ be strongest in the area that is their natural affinity. Also depending on how strong of an affinity they have, they'll have one that they're just as bad at, or close enough anyway."

"So what one are you bad at?" Oz asked curiously.

"Witchcraft. I'm really, really bad at it." Xander grinned slightly at Oz. "Mac finds it amusing that my secondary affinity, pretty much the one I'm second strongest in, is sorcery. Shamanism and witchcraft are actually technically closer disciplines. Shamans tend to normally be weaker in sorcery, as shown by all those stories of village witches. They would actually be shamans, just improperly named."

Oz nodded slowly. "So you see dead people?"

Xander couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. "Pretty much. I can do a lot more with it. See them, talk to them, call them up; that sort of thing. Bone and blood magic as well, unfortunately my knowledge of magic is eight hundred years out of date. A lot of stuff was discovered and lost in that time. Like apparently shamanism is almost completely lost in Europe."

"So your teacher, Mac? Is a what?"

"Sorcerer. From an old family of them that was founded back when the Romans were occupying Britain. Apparently their founder was the kid of a Slayer1. I'm not sure what side she was on though, Roman or other." Xander shrugged. "He's of the 'I got it but why should I use it frivolously' school of thought."

!!!!!  
Friday, August 18 2000

Xander grinned as he hugged Tara. "Hey, good to see you."

"Hi Xander. I brought what you asked. I even collected most of it myself." Tara's soft voice said as she pulled back. "I'm sorry Willow couldn't come."

Xander shrugged. "She's busy. I also think this is her way of punishing me for ordering her not to touch any of the stuff; especially the wood. She didn't right?"

"I hid it from her and sent it ahead." Tara smiled as Xander escorted her through the airport. When they were finally outside she asked, "Where will I be staying?"

"Well you could stay with me, but that'll be really crowded, so Mac and Clair have offered to let you stay with them." Xander set her bag in the back of his jeep. "Just a warning, Faith's staying there too."

"F-Faith?" Tara froze in shock midway into the jeep.

"Yeah, Uncle H sent her up for a month to learn some stuff from Mac. She's calmed down a lot. I think part of that is that she knows she's as safe we can make her." Xander explained as he gently pulled on Tara's arm reminding her to get in.

Tara slowly nodded. "O-Okay, I trust you Xander."

"Great." Xander gave her a last reassuring smile before pulling out into New York traffic.

!!!!!  
Monday, August 21 2000

Danny stumbled exhaustedly into this apartment only to stop and stare. Xander was apparently holding a poker game. Danny could handle that, what he wasn't sure he could handle was _who_ he was having the game with.

Sitting around the table was Xander, to his right Oz, then Faith, then Tara and Dawn. But the biggest thing was that the last one at the table was _Hellboy1_ as in the fictional comic book demon, who was sitting there smoking a cigar and holding his hand.

Xander looked up and gave his uncle a grin, "Hey Uncle Danny, there's pizza still if you want some. Or some Greek dish Tara ordered."

"Xander, that's Hellboy."

"Yeah I know. He saved Tara and Dawn from being mugged earlier."

Danny sighed. _'Only Xander.'_ "Right. Why is Dawn here ten PM?"

"I'm running away again." Dawn pipped up

"O!kay. Do your parents know?"

"I left a note."

"Don't worry Uncle Danny, I called Claire earlier. I'll drive her to home tomorrow." Xander stood up and walked over to the gently swaying Danny. "Let's get you to bed. Faith?"

"Sure thing X." Faith got up and came over and helped him wrangle a still dazed Danny mostly out of his clothes and into the bed he hadn't seen in three days.

!!!!!  
Saturday, August 26 20001

Xander happily walked with Speed through the crowds. Speed had come up to New York to spend time with Xander for his nineteenth birthday. They were actually out on a date of Xander's choosing, and his choice: Renfair.

Speed shook his head in bemusement as Xander stopped to watch a man play at being a blacksmith. "I thought you remembered being a knight."

"Yup."

"And you chose to go to a _Renfair_ on a date?" Speed asked still confused by Xander's choice.

"Well, I find it funny what people chose to glorify." Xander shrugged before giving Speed a mischievous grin, "That and I want to mock the people who take it too seriously and have no idea what it was actually like."

Speed shook his head and smirked. "You're one of a kind Xander. What's your shirt say anyway?" he pointed down at the black shirt with white calligraphy writing in Old French.

Xander's grin widened, "'I kill dead people.' Willow sent it to me for me for my birthday."

Speed laughed as he drug Xander through the crowds. "Come on. I think the sword fighting's this way. You can point out what they do wrong to me."

!!!!!  
Saturday, October 21 2000

Dawn grinned as Xander flipped through a D&D book at his seat on her couch. She thought it was great that Xander and Oz had agreed to baby sit her on a _Saturday_!

"What are we doing again?" Xander asked as he tossed the book back onto the coffee table.

"Making D&D characters1 of ourselves." Oz explained. "I'm a werewolf bard."

"That fits you, but why am I a _paladin_?" Xander demanded pointing at his character sheet.

"Well you _are_ a Templar." Dawn piped up.

"I _was_ a Templar. A lifetime or three ago Dawn-monster." Xander sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Alright fine, I'm a paladin. Whatever."

Oz gave Xander a bemused smile before looking over at the instigator of the whole thing. "What about the hyena thing?"

Dawn frowned as she thought over the new problem. "I'm not sure. Maybe that should be his heraldry?"

Xander gave her an astonished look, "So I'm a hyena paladin? That sounds like some goth band name."

Oz chuckled, "You can name your company that, Hyena Paladin Consulting. That would send some mixed signals."

Xander scowled at Oz before it slowly melted into a grin, "Actually that's not a bad idea. If we overlay the hyena image from the spell over the Templar cross it would make for an interesting logo.1"

Dawn frowned, "Aren't hyena's considered evil though?"

Xander smirked and nodded, "Thus the mixed signals. Thanks Dawn, I was wondering what to call my consulting, especially now that I have a minion."

"I'm a minion?" Oz asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Well you're too smart to be a henchman, and to small to be a thug." Xander explained.

"How about a trusted lieutenant?" Oz offered.

"Hmm... Possibilities. Let me think about it. After all trusted lieutenant is a delicate spot to fill."

"Just make sure you follow the rules."

"Rules?" Dawn asked confused.

"On what to do as an Evil Overlord. I'll email you the link okay?" Xander explained.

Dawn smiled brightly. "Cool."

!!!!!  
November 2000 Thanksgiving (Can't remember the exact date)

Xander leaned against the doorjamb into the kitchen reading his copy of National Geographic as he waited for his turn at the stove.

"Ogre's in Afghanistan1?" Tony asked reading the cover in surprise.

Xander looked up and gave his father a bemused grin. "Yeah, it's the occult version of National Geographic. Mac got me a subscription."

"National Geographic has an occult version?" Tony asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it's actually pretty good. You want to look through it?" Xander asked.

Tony looked perturbed before shrugging. "Later. Get started on stuffing the bird Alejandro."

"Yes sir!" Xander saluted smartly before dropping the magazine on the counter and going to do as ordered. It was nice to be having Thanksgiving with his dad, Danny and Oz.

!!!!!  
Thursday, December 13 2001

Tony answered his cell distractedly as he looked through a file, "DiNozzo."

_"//Hey dad, you need a calvary? I heard you got shanghaied by a cranky, evil marine,//"_ Xander's amused voice answered.

Tony grinned as he answered, "//Nah, I'm good. Still mostly boxed up, but at least I have a place now. I used the same realtor company you found for Danny.//"

_"//Great, so I'll help you unpack while I visit.//"_

"//That's good. Where are you?//"

_"//About to get on my plane. Pick me up at the airport when I touch down?//"_

"//Of course. Give me the information and I'll be there.//"

_"//Great!//"_ Xander rattled off the information as Tony wrote it down. _"//I'll see you later. There's my flight, later dad.//"_

"//Later Alejandro.//" Tony clicked his cell shut and looked over at Gibbs. "I need to take off early today boss."

"Is it important?"

"I need to pick my son up from the airport. He's coming to visit until we go down to Miami for Christmas."

Gibbs nodded his consent, "So long as a case doesn't come up."

"Thanks boss."

!!!!!  
Sunday, April 7 2001

Xander frowned at Faith, who was sitting at his desk. "So what did you need to talk to me and Speed about?"

"Well I was thinking, you two are thinking of getting a place together soon right?"

"Yeah, so?" Speed asked wondering where the brunette slayer was going with this.

"I want to get a place with you guys." Faith hurried on when she saw their frowns, "Look, I'm already past my expectancy on life, not to mention I'm going to be a cop. So I want to get a place with you guys, so that when something happens to me, it'll be one less thing to take care of. Not to mention that with three people paying we can get a bigger place."

Xander held up his hand and stopped Faith. "Are you sure? I mean this is a big thing."

"Yeah, I thought about it. I know you two won't try anything, and you know what's up." Faith leered playfully at the two men, "Not to mention I don't mind the thought of living with two hot guys, even if they are together."

Speed laughed and shook his head. "She does have a point; it will allow us to get a nicer place."

Xander exchanged a look with Speed before shrugging, "I suppose it _is_ tradition for Slayers to stay with their Watchers. Sure, why not. So a place with at least three rooms? "

Faith gave a relieved laugh, "More than three, I've seen your two's book collections. We're going to need a library, not to mention X'll need at least an office."

"You'll move in when we do or after you graduate?" Speed asked.

"After I get out of high school, that should give you a couple months to let the honeymoon glow fade. I'll still pay for my part out of what the Council pays me, but I don't mind staying with Dad until then."

Xander gave her an amused grin. "Cool. So backyard?"

The three of them spent the couple hours figuring what they would need before they joined the rest of the Salas household for dinner. Ray Jr. was excited at the news, and Yelina a bit reserved, but agreed with their reasoning.

!!!!!  
Monday, July 9 2001

Speed walked in the lab nodded to Eric as he put on his labcoat.

"Hey, how's domestic life treating you?" Eric asked with a grin.

"Strange, but good. Although, I'm really wondering about the nude meditating." Speed shook his head at the memory.

"Nude meditating?"

"Yeah. Every morning, for the last week, I'll find them meditating in the living room sans clothes. I'd think it was a California thing, but Faith's from Boston." Speed smirked over at the other man, "Though I do appreciate the scenery with my first cup of coffee."

!!!!!  
Thursday, September 20 2001

"Hey." Speed said as he walked into Xander's home office to find him sitting at his computer cursing in Old French. "Something wrong."

"Non." Xander gave Speed a warm smile. "Someone's just being stupid."

"I can tell what with your accent's slipping again. Anything I can help with?"

Xander shook his head, though when he spoke the French accent was still there but fading again. "Not unless you convince some grad student that translations are _not_ the place to go to for accurate interpretations of prophecies."

"Prophecies huh? Anything urgent?" Speed leaned over to look at the computer screen that displayed the email that had set his lover off.

"Nah, it's just a game me and some others on the same academic track play. Someone puts up a prophecy they find, nothing really relevant, and most are fulfilled anyway. Then we all work out our different translations and interpretations of the prophecy and support it."

"And you do this for fun?"

"Some of the things the others come up with are funny as all hell." Xander gave Speed a lopsided grin. "Yes I know this is really geeky. I'm also getting credit for it to considering my adviser is the head of the mailing list."

Speed chuckled and went to finish reading the email. "I think your right, this guy _did_ misplace his brain, if he ever had one. I don't know much about this sort of thing, but even I know that the original language is best."

"Unless it's not." Xander chuckled at the look Speed threw him. "There was a case a while back where the prophecy didn't make sense until it was translated into Modern Greek; which was good because that allowed the people dealing with it to have a bit of warning."

"It's a strange world you live in sometimes."

Xander snorted. "The world is always strange; I just never learned to ignore it properly. So any reason you came to talk?"

"Just checking on you to see what you want for dinner."

"I can do dinner." Xander smirked and drew Speed into a kiss.

Speed laughed into the kiss as he pulled back. "That was bad, Xander."

!!!!!  
October 2001?

"So mom needs a boyfriend," Xander commented as he pulled the juice out of the freezer.

"Mom has a boyfriend. Stetler," Ray said sourly as he dug out the juice container.

"No, he's a cry for help. She needs a guy worthy of her. You know more locals. Any suggestions?"

"Uncle Horatio?"

"Possibilities, but he seems like the kind that'll always place mom as his brother's wife."

"Huh. Well what about Tony?"

"Dad? No, I asked. He said that they've moved beyond sex."

"That's possible?"

"Apparently; I looked it up on the internet, so I guess."

"Weird."

"Definitely. Eric?"

"Delko?" Ray paused in stirring the juice. "Possible. I never really thought of him before, but possible."

"So ask him and mom?"

"I dare you," Ray said with a grin.

"You're on." Xander returned his brother mischievous grin.

"Bonus points if you do it in front of Stetler."

Xander cackled as he led Ray out with the juice.

!!!!!  
Saturday, December 16 2001

Xander felt his smile freeze on his face as he stared into his dad's new boss' eyes. There was an awareness there that Xander recognized. He saw it whenever he looked into the mirror. An intensity that said, not only have they lived before, but they also _remember_ that life.

What really got to Xander though, "Captain Rafael?" was that they had known each other.

Gibbs frowned slightly before it cleared. "I know you?"

"More like knew me. I was Geoffrey D'Armand. How do you remember?" Xander asked confused by that.

Gibbs snorted in amusement, "Youthful stupidity. You?" He didn't clarify if it was his own or someone else's, Tony couldn't help noticing.

"Last year a girl trying to make her grandmother relive her youth and getting me instead." Xander shrugged and gave him a lopsided grin

Tony looked back and forth between the two. "You knew each other? Like as Templar's?"

Xander laughed and nodded, "The Captain here," Xander pointed at a bemused Gibbs, "started my group."

"The demon hunters?" Tony clarified.

"Yeah. Leander was his squire in fact." Xander smirked. "'Course I was yours." Xander flicked his eyes back to Gibbs, "You retrain?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Trying. Want to spar later?" Xander grinned at the pleased look Gibbs gave him. Gibbs had the same air about him that he remembered Rafael Mendez having. He was one of those extremely rare individuals who had seen and done so much in their lives that you were never quite sure _what_ they were actually capable of. Geoffrey and the others had never been quite sure just how much magic Rafael could actually do, or even what type. Not that it really mattered much; he still got things done either way.

Also the look on various creatures faces when they tried to pull some sort of mind trick on him only to have it just slide off somehow was always funny. None of them had been sure if he had some sort of really good mental shielding or was just that in tune with life's foibles. Either way it made for good speculating.

Tony shook his head as he walked into the kitchen after showing Gibbs out. "//Alejandro? I'm curious about something.//"

Xander looked up from where he was doing the dishes. "//What's that?//"

"//How come you recognized Rafael in Gibbs, but he had to ask who you were?//" That had been bothering him all through dinner.

"//It's a shaman thing.//" Xander paused and pulled his thoughts together before trying to explain. "//Look, normal people can recognized souls they've known before, so why wouldn't I be able to?//"

"//Right, I guess that makes sense. Though why didn't you tell me about me?//" Tony asked.

"//It never came up.//" Xander shrugged. "//So I think it went well.//"

!!!!!  
Wednesday, March 6 2002

Martin hummed thoughtfully as he checked the screen on his cell. "Hey Tony. Why you calling?"

_"//It's happening again!//"_ Tony said without preamble.

"That's nice. You mind switching to English? My Italian's rusty." Martin frowned. It had to be bad if Tony had reverted to Italian. Not to mention Martin could hear fear in his friend's voice. "Who's doing what?"

Tony blew out a breath before answering, _"Our fathers. They've been talking."_

"They're friends. They talk all the time. So do our mothers for that matter." Martin leaned back in his seat and took a drink of his coffee. "What's so bad this time?"

_"According to Daria,"_ Tony said referring to the Fitzgerald housekeeper, _"they've been discussing marrying us off."_

Martin choked on his coffee in surprise. "I thought they gave up on that when we were fourteen?" He sat down the cup before adding on, "Or at least you."

_"To each other."_

"_What?_" Martin hissed. "Are you _serious_?"

_"That's not the worst part. They had also been talking about turning one of us into a girl so they could ensure grandchildren."_ Tony added on dryly.

"Oh like that wouldn't backfire. Especially in your case." Martin muttered only to wince when he realized what he had just said.

_"What's **that** supposed to mean Marty?"_

Martin sighed and decided to share his thought _'In for the penny, in for the pound.'_ "Can you honestly tell me that if you were a woman you _wouldn't_ end up marrying Gibbs?"

There was silence from the other end for a long moment before Tony spoke again. _"I think I have."_

"You're kidding!" Martin arched his eyebrows in surprise.

_"It's just some stuff Alejandro told me, and the boss mentioned."_

"Like what?"

_"Just some stuff about souls and previous lives. Apparently they form attachments to things and being drawn to them in future lives. Stuff like déja vu or being immediately comfortable with someone, or hating them for no reason is part of it. Though sometimes it a place or object."_

"And you have a strong attachment to 'Rafael'." Martin commented, showing he was following what Tony was explaining.

Tony snorted in amusement. _"Apparently when I was Matteo, the demons called me 'Rafael's Shadow,' which is amusing considering I had been a quarter demon. Anyway Gibbs has mentioned that we've been reincarnated together a few times that he can remember and I always had his six."_

Martin smiled bemusedly, "And in one of them you were married."

_"Apparently. Gibbs made some crack about cutlery and a table that made me have weird memory-dreams that night."_ Tony chuckled, _"I may not remember much from 'before' but most of it has to do with Gibbs. Anyway I thought I would give you the heads up that our dads are plotting."_

Martin's smile died as he remembered what had prompted Tony's unexpected call. He sighed tiredly and rubbed his eyes. "Is it to late to run off and join the army again? Dad didn't find out I had joined up until my stint was up and I was at Harvard."

_"He knows now so it won't work again,"_ Tony pointed out.

"Right. I'll call Daria later and see what she knows. Thanks for the warning."

_"Yeah no problem. I'll talk to you later."_

"Bye." Martin hung up and sighed. He hoped whatever his dad was planning this time wouldn't end too badly.

!!!!!  
Friday, August 23 2002

Xander's twenty-first birthday had started out well enough. He, his dad, Uncle Danny, Uncle Martin1, and boyfriend Speed had flown out to Las Vegas to celebrate his becoming fully legal. It was a guy's weekend, even though it was the middle of the week. They had all arranged to get four days off. One of the times them all working in different places made things easier. Though it was a pity that Horatio couldn't go with them as planned, someone on his team had gotten sick suddenly, and he had to cover.

It had all gone well at first; Xander had even gotten his first legal drink. Then things had gone downhill. As they were leaving one of the casinos after a show, they had seen someone being attacked by a demon as they were leaving the parking garage in their rental car.

Predictably they got themselves involved and managed to take out the rather nasty demon. That's when things got hinky. First; the woman wasn't as much in need of rescue as they thought seeing as she wasn't human. Secondly she had taken a major liking to all of them.

Unfortunately for them, not in the normal 'let-me-reward-you-nudge-nudge-wink-wink' way, but rather it was in a 'you're-so-cute-I-must-mother-you' way. So the five of them were themselves kidnapped by a female djinn1, she kept trying to feed them after having dressed them in thankfully tasteful, if horrendously expensive clothes.

At the moment the five of them were sitting in a tastefully opulent room with no doors or windows, sitting around a table sullenly staring at their dinner.

Danny glared across the table at Tony. "I blame you."

"How is this _my_ fault?" Tony demanded.

"You chose Vegas," Danny snapped back

"Look lets not fight over this. We really need to figure out how to get out of here," Xander pointed out from where he was poking at his food.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't think we should wait for a rescue. I work with people that'll never let me live it down." Speed's comment brought snorts of agreement from the others.

"How will we do that? There's no door, and she took our phones." Martin asked as he stabbed viciously into his steak.

"Maybe if we ask her nicely?" Xander asked dryly.

"Has that ever worked?" Tony asked, actually a little curious and hopeful.

"Not in my experience." Speed commented running his eyes around the room again.

!!!!!  
Saturday, December 8 2002

Faith eyed Xander and Speed thoughtfully nervously fiddled with one of her knives. She really wasn't sure how to tell the guys her news.

"Faith?" Speed asked worriedly. "You okay?"

"I'm pregnant." Faith blurted out before blushing hotly. Though she did feel vindicated when Xander dropped the skillet on the floor in shock.

"Your _pregnant_?" Speed asked surprised.

"Who?" Xander managed to force out.

"I don't know. I haven't been with anyone in months except that one time after we got really drunk." Faith explained referring to a case the three of them had been on together over Halloween that had been really, _really_ bad.

After they had managed to take care of the evil cult the three of them had gotten really hammered and ended up in bed together. So she honestly _didn't_ know which of them was the father.

Xander sat down on the floor with a plop and leaned against the counter. "Uncle H is going to kill me."

"Not just you." Speed muttered.

!!!!!  
After 2/3's of the 'Evil' Trio get caught.1

"So why did you send me two people Willow?" Xander asked as he eyed the two boys sitting nervously on his couch.

"I'm sorry Xander; we didn't know what to do with them. It's not like the jail could hold them here or that there was really any evidence. Also we figured getting them away from Sunnydale's bad influence was a good thing." Willow explained hurriedly.

"So you sent them to me?" Xander asked slowly.

"Well they're smart, so maybe they can work for you or something. We're still looking for the ringleader Warren, so we had to get them somewhere fast."

Xander sighed and rubbed his neck tiredly. "Right. I'll see what I can do. You owe me Willow."

"I know. I'm sorry Xander. Things have been hectic."

"Same here. Look I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Bye Xander. Sorry and thanks."

Xander sighed and hung up the phone and eyed the two boys. "Right, so who are you and how old are you two?"

"I'm Jonathan and I'm twenty-one. He's Andrew and twenty." The shorter dark haired one explained.

"Right." Xander blew out a breath and tried not to wince as his headache grew worse. "So are you two any good at research?"

!!!!!  
Saturday, March 8 2003

Xander bounced nervously as he waited for the apartment door in front of him to open to his knock.

"You sure this is okay?" Ray-ray asked nervously as he looked around.

"She's a Caine and therefore family so I'd like to get to know her." Xander shrugged. "Mom'll come around; she's having to deal with the idea of Uncle H being human."

Ray-ray didn't bother asking why Faith wasn't there. She was sleeping at home, and Xander had told Ray-ray on the ride over that they should check it out before bringing her into it. He understood that, they were protecting Faith even if she was going to hit them both when she found out.

The door opened showing a young, pretty brunette. "Hello?"

"Hi. I'm Xander DiNozzo; this is my brother Ray-ray Caine. We came to meet you and Madison." Xander gave the woman a lopsided smile. "We just found out about her from mom. Well I did anyway."

Ray-ray elbowed Xander in the ribs. "Xander, you're babbling."

"Right, sorry." Xander gave Ray-ray a sheepish grin before looking back at Suzie. "Hi."

"Hi." She gave them both confused looks. "I'm Suzie."

"Um, let me try this again." Xander ran a nervous hand through his hair. "We found out about Madison and wanted to get to know her since she's family. We'd've brought Faith, but she works graveyard and doesn't know we came."

"Faith?"

"Uncle H's... Horatio's adopted daughter. She's nineteen and a cop too." Xander shifted and looked down at Ray-ray before looking back over at Suzie. "Any questions?"

Suzie eyed the two on her door step for a long minute before stepping aside. "I guess we can talk."

"Thanks." Ray-ray gave her a hesitant smile as he and Xander followed her into her apartment.

!!!!!  
Saturday, June 16 2003

Faith leaned over slightly towards Xander and said sotto voice, "I think _Eric_ is glowing. I thought it was supposed to be the bride that did that?"

Xander snickered. "Mom is, Eric's just glowing more."

"So how you handling Yelina marrying?" Speed asked from Faith's other side.

Faith was torn between exasperation and finding it sweet at the guy's instance on bookending her constantly. They had actually gotten _worse_ when they found out the twins she was carrying were _theirs_, as in they had each fathered one. "They look good together." Faith commented as she continued to eye the bride and groom.

Xander gave the other two a lopsided grin. "I'm happy for mom and Eric. Not to mention they'll have gorgeous babies."

Speed couldn't help snickering. "You know something we don't Templar?"

Xander's grin turned mischievous, "I may have heard something from a sprit or two."

Faith laughed and shook her head at the two. She still found it amazing how much her life had changed. "You two go dance with some of the bride's maids. I'll go claim dad for a spin."

"You sure?" Speed asked eying her.

"Yeah, I need to get up and stretch my legs anyway, and dad'll be careful. C'mon, help me up." Faith held up her arms to let the two help her pull her considerable bulk upright.

The two escorted her over to Horatio and handed her off before going to claim Calleigh and Marisol for a dance.

"Hey dad. You look good." Faith said as Horatio carefully led her onto the dance floor.

"And you're glowing. Pregnancy suits you Faith." He gave her a gentle smile as they start to dance.

"Thanks." Faith blushed slightly before pressing on, "Dad, I... I wanted to thank you for giving me a chance."

"You deserve it Faith."

The two finished their dance with quiet conversation before he walked her back to her table and helped her sit down again. He gave her a bemused smile as she straightened her skirts.

"Faith, Horatio." Tony greeted as he walked up to join the two.

"Hey Tony." Faith accepted the kiss on the cheek Tony gave her with a smile.

Horatio nodded in greeting to the other man. "Tony. You look wistful. Thinking that could have been you?"

Tony laughed and nodded. "Yeah, twenty years ago maybe. But Yelina looks happy, and that's what's important."

Before either could respond Xander walked up to the three of them. "Hey dad. I can't believe you brought Santea1 as your date." Xander said referring to the djinn that had adopted the guys on Xander's twenty-first birthday.

The five of them had all come to like her and accept her showing up randomly in their lives; mostly to feed them. And if she didn't show up, she would sometimes send them food.

Tony shrugged. "I figured she'd make a good date. I'm not seeing anyone at the moment that I could take."

!!!!!  
Tuesday, June 19 2003

Xander tiredly dialed his dad's number on his cell phone.

_"DiNozzo."_ Tony's voice answered groggily.

"Hey grandpa." Xander couldn't help smiling as he stood in front of the nursery window looking down at his newborn son, and Speed's daughter.

_"Wha? Alejandro? Where are you?"_ Tony asked more alertly.

"The hospital nursery looking at Rafael Matteo DiNozzo and Erin Brande Speedle born at 2:37 and 3:44 respectively." Xander grinned as rested a hand against the glass.

_"That's great. How are they? How's Faith?"_

"Everyone's fine. We're all still amazed that Faith made it to the ninth month. Everyone that could be here is and are currently spreading the word."

_"I'll be down there as soon as I can."_

"Don't forget to brag around up there before you leave. Also don't forget we want you here for the christening."

_"Rafael Matteo huh?"_ Tony asked bemused.

"Seems fitting. You spread the word around DC, and New York. I'll be calling around the others on my list." Xander looked over at Andrew and Jonathan bemused before adding on. "Also check your email. You should be getting pictures sent to you from terrible duo."

_"Right. I'll talk to you later. Congratulations Alejandro."_

Xander grinned again. "Thanks dad. Talk to you later."

!!!!!  
Thursday, September 25 2003

"Speedle." Speed said as he answered his cell.

_"Hey Speed, I need you to come down to a bar and vouch for me."_ Xander said without preamble.

Speed frowned in confusion. "Vouch for you? With who?"

_"Jonathan and Andrew have somehow gotten themselves kidnapped by a biker gang and they won't give them back until I get someone to vouch for me and say I can take good care of them."_

"You're serious?" Speed asked surprised.

_"Yeah; look you're the closest I know to a biker, so come down and vouch for me please? I'd like to have my minions back. We're in the middle of a dozen cases."_ Xander explained, though his crass words didn't hide the worry and concern in his tone.

Speed looked over at what he was working on then checked his watch. "Look it's almost time for lunch, can they wait 'til I can get down there?"

_"Just a sec'."_ There was muffled speaking for a moment before Xander came back. _"Just get here within two hours. I'll text you the address."_

"Okay. I'll see you there. Bye."

_"Thanks Speed."_ Xander replied before disconnecting.

Speed shook his head as he pocketed his phone again. "If it's not one thing it's another."

!!!!!  
Wednesday, October 15 20031

"Messer! Package for you." Don called as he walked up to the blonde.

"Huh. Any idea who from?" Danny asked pushing up his glasses as he waited for Don to reach him.

"Postmark's Miami, so probably your nephew." Don handed over the smallish box. "Any idea what he'd be sending you?"

"You have a nephew?" Aiden asked surprised.

"Sorta. His name's Xander. He lives down in Miami with his mom." Danny answered distractedly as he opened the box. Frowning he pulled out a card and read it.

"Well? What's he say?" Don asked impatiently.

"'I figured this was something that a true New Yorker would appreciate having.'" Danny handed over the card before pulling aside the bubble wrap. Danny's eyes widened as he saw what lay inside the box.

"What is it?" Aiden asked intrigued by what Danny's mysterious nephew could be sending him.

Danny laughed and pulled out the gift. It was a foot tall skeletal rat carved out of white oak and the pieces held together with wire, incased in a black silk hooded robe and holding a to-scale scythe. "He sent me the Death of Rats."

"Death of Rats?" Don asked confused.

"From Terry Pratchetts Discworld series." Danny laughed and shook his head. "Well he was right. Only a true New Yorker could appreciate having one."

"Where'd he get it? It looks expensive." Aiden asked examining the doll.

"I don't know." Danny pulled out his cell and called his nephew.

_"Speedy-DiNozzo home of the dark Faith. How may I impassion you?"_ Faith answered distractedly.

"Hi Faith, is Xander there?" Danny asked bemused by her greeting.

_"Hey Danny. Yeah here he is."_ the phone was handed off.

_"Hey Uncle Danny. What's with the call?"_ Xander greeted curiously.

"I just got your package. Where'd you get it?" Danny handed the softly clacking doll over to Don who inspected it curiously.

_"Oh I made it. Jonathan thought you'd need the laugh so I sent it to you."_ There was a pause before Xander spoke again. _"You like it?"_

Danny laughed and shook his head. "I do. You're mind goes to some weird places sometimes."

_"Which is why I'm as successful as I am. Anything else?"_ Xander asked.

"No. That was the reason I called."

_"'Kay. Glad you liked it Uncle Danny. I'll talk to you later when you're not at work."_

"Bye." Danny hung up and looked at the other two. "He made it. My nephew is a strange, strange man."

Don laughed and nodded as he handed over the rat. "That's for sure."

!!!!!  
Tuesday, September 14 2004

_"Hey Uncle Danny."_

Danny couldn't help smiling at Xander's cheerful voice on the other end of the line. "Hey Xander. What's up?"

_"The usual. The twins are down for a nap so I thought I'd call since I'm having a quiet moment for once."_

"I don't think I'd be able to handle two sets of twins nearly as well as you do," Danny said with a tired laugh. "I'm tired enough as it is.

_"Yeah, and the kicker is I'm not sure which set is less mature. Andrew and Jonathan who aren't even related and are in their twenties, or Rafael and Erin who are fifteen months."_

"And you having to deal with them most of the day." Danny shook his head. "I have a hard enough time with Dawn 'running away' at my place constantly. She called me mom the other day."

_"Uncle Danny, she's called you that before."_

"Yeah, but before she was always sarcastic. This time I don't think she even noticed." Danny tiredly rubbed his forehead. "I _really_ hope she doesn't think of me as a step-mom."

Xander laughed. _"Does that mean I should be sending you and Mac a wedding present?"_

Danny grimaced. "Please don't. I don't see Mac that way."

_"Uncle Danny, it's rather telling that Dawn has her own room at your place and both you and Mac take her staying there half the time without batting an eyelash."_

"It's not that bad Xander." Danny defended weakly.

_"Think it over."_ There was a sudden raise in background noise on Xander's end. _"Just a moment. Keep it down guys. I finally got the twins down."_

_"Sorry Xander."_ Andrew's voice came faintly.

_"Yeah sorry."_ Jonathan hurriedly added on.

_"Don't worry, just keep it down. Don't forget Ray-ray and Princess Maddy's are coming over after school. So we'll have to do what can on the Seattle case now."_

There was more noise then Xander returned to Danny. _"Hey, still there?"_

"What is it with you and nicknames?" Danny asked bemused yet again by Xander calling his step-sister 'Princess Maddy.'

_"Just one of those things. Look I have to get back to work. Talk to you later?"_

"Go ahead. Later Xander."

_"Later Uncle Danny."_

Danny hung up his cell and shook his head at the way Xander managed to juggle his life and work. He was thankful yet again that his own was _much_ simpler. Even if he did get teased by Dawn occasionally about being her step-mom.

!!!!!  
Tuesday, February 8 2005

Xander was pulled out of a dream of sitting around a campfire with the other Templars to the phone ringing.

"'Ello?" Speed's voice growled as the ringing stopped. "Yeah, here. Xan?"

"Wha'?" Xander raised his head from his pillow and turned to look over at his husband. "Who'iz'it?" he managed to slur out.

"Danny." Speed tossed the receiver onto Xander's pillow before burrowing under the covers again.

"Uncle Danny?" Xander asked as he tiredly laid his head in the correct position on the phone, not even bothering to pick it up. "'Sup?"

_"Are cookie monsters real? And if so what do you do if you catch one?"_

Xander frowned as he tried to figure out what Danny was talking about. "I thought I told you not to drink and watch Sesame Street. It leads to weirdness."

_"Xander, Don got into a fistfight with an actual cookie monster. It's now tied up in the closet and we need to know what to do with it."_

"Don fought a cookie monster?" Xander asked.

_"I think so. Well it's some kind of big blue bear-like thing with opposable thumbs and it was eating cookies. What do we do with it?"_

"I don't know... Send it to Andrew and Jonathan? They need a pet."

_"And just how would I get it from Don's closet to Miami?"_

"I don' know. Mac?"

_"...I'll go do that. Talk to you when you're awake this afternoon. Later Xander."_

"Night-night, Uncle Danny." Xander raised his head and turned off the phone and pushing it off his pillow so he could lay his head down comfortably again.

"What was that about?" Speed asked from next to him.

"Don slew a cookie monster."

Speed snorted before turning over and snuggling against Xander. The two of them drifted off to sleep again to weird dreams.

!!!!!  
Thanksgiving 2005? after Tanglewood

"Don what are you doing?" Martin demanded.

"I'm just checking the bird." Don explained.

"Step away from the turkey Don." Danny ordered.

"I can cook." Don defended himself.

"Yeah, except fowl. Then it turns weird. Your not going near the turkey Don, stop trying." Danny growled.

"Seriously Don, you get anywhere near it I'm going to shoot your ass." Martin warned.

There was silence for several minutes before there was an odd clacking sound and a yelp.

"You shot me!" Don yelped.

"I warned you." Martin was silent for a moment before he burst out the kitchen door and bolted down the hall, an irate Don Flack hot on his heels.

"Get back here Martin!" Don yelled as he dodged around Speed who was coming down the hall with a bag of groceries.

Speed frowned after the two briefly before heading to the kitchen again. He eyed the lingering cops outside suspiciously for a moment before entering. Leaving the cops faced with a blank door with a waist high board leaning against the wall next to it with the words, "No Girlz Allowd! Boyz Only!" painted on it in mismatched colors. Part of the lingering could be blamed on the guys who took over the kitchen taking the sign seriously. They weren't letting _any_ female inside.

"What's with the chase?" Speed asked as he set the bag on an empty spot of counter.

"Don was trying to mess with the turkey." Xander explained from where he was preparing the stuffing.

"He didn't touch it did he?" Speed asked eyeing the waiting bird suspiciously.

"No. Martin shot him in the ass when he tried to get near it." Danny smirked at the memory. "Though I'm wondering what he was doing with a nerf gun."

"Good. Last time he tried to help cook a bird it ended up green." Speed snarked as he started pulling out packages from the bag and setting them on the counter.

"Martin brought them to keep out insurgents." Tony called over from the stove.

"'Them'? As in more than one?" Danny asked looking over at Tony with interest.

"In the duffle by the wall. Don't touch the super soaker, that's an emergency weapon." Xander warned.

"Vampires?" Speed asked as he went over to check the bag, seeing as he was the only one there at the moment with clean hands.

"Sneaking women." Xander corrected with a grin. "I'm going to stuff the bird. Someone keep an eye out for Don. I don't want him near it until it's done."

"Hey guys..." Dawn poked her head in the door only to be shot in the forehead.

"No girls. Leave." Danny called over. He gave Speed a grateful smile as he pushed Dawn's head outside the door.

"When will we be ready to eat?" Speed called over after listening to Dawn for a moment.

"Not until around three. That's why we're here so early. Tell her to go play a game in the break room." Tony ordered. "Danny what the hell are you doing with the bread?" Tony walked over and started a brief argument with Danny.

Ignoring them Speed went back to sorting out the supplies for the next stage of preparation.

!!!!!  
Saturday, March 25 2006

"Alejandro?" Tony called as he led his team into his son's house.

"Yeah?" There was a sudden thud and Xander's disembodied voice bite out a startled and pained curse.

"Alejandro?" Tony called again as he drew his gun and hurried towards Xander's office followed by the others. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just tripped," Xander called back.

Stepping into the cluttered office Tony found Xander with his back towards the door as he reached for something behind the couch. "What's going on?"

"Bath time." Xander grunted then finally managed to snag whatever it was. "Gotcha. Come on Erin, grandpa's here." Xander pulled out a giggling and pouting brunette toddler.

"Where's Rafael?" Gibbs asked as he holstered his gun.

"Tim has him in the bathroom. So what are you guys doing here?" Xander asked as he kept a firm hold of Erin who was busy trying to squirm loose.

"Down on a case and needed your help." Tony explained as he came forward and plucked Erin from Xander's arms. "Hey baby."

Erin squealed and hugged Tony tightly around the neck. "Granpa!"

"You being bad?" Tony asked giving the little girl a serious look.

"No..." Erin drew out shaking her head.

"You sure? According to Alejandro you should be taking a bath." Tony gave Xander a brief smile over her head as he started walking towards the bathroom with her.

"Bath bad." Erin pouted up at Tony. "No bath?"

"Well I like baths. Does that make me bad?" Tony asked as he stepped around Ziva and started down the hall still talking to the now thoughtful little girl.

Xander stared after Tony thoughtfully. "Dad's really good at that." Shaking off his thoughts he turned his attention back to the other agents clustered around the doorway. "Hey Captain. McGee. You must be Agent David, nice to meet you." Xander gave her a charming smile and shook her offered hand.

"Hey Xander. Sorry to drop in like this." McGee apologized softly.

"Don't worry about it. Want some coffee? I think dad's taking over bath duty from me."

Gibbs nodded and led the others into the bright kitchen and headed directly to waiting coffee maker. "Cups still in the same place?"

"Yeah. So you guys need my help?" Xander asked as he sat down on one of the bar stools at the island.

Gibbs nodded in confirmation.

"What information we need you to research is here." McGee patted his laptop case.

"Cool. I'll call the others." Giving the others a smile Xander grabbed the kitchen phone off the charger and walked into the living room to begin calling over the others.

"He is not what I expected." Ziva said quietly as her eyes lingered on the door Xander had just left through. "I expected him to be... more serious."

Gibbs shrugged. "Xander is Xander. He's good at what he does and doesn't need to answer to anyone."

"Xander's never what you expect the first time." McGee added.

**Dumpster Demon:** Not actually a demon. It's a mimic like in video games or D&D. It looked like a dumpster in its disguised form. In this, depending on who and how they were made changes certain things, like what can actually hurt them.  
**Power Stones:** Pretty much what powers the mimic in this. Also works as its eyes.  
**Tony and Yelina's ages:** Well if Xander was 17, and a couple months shy of 18, when he met them, and he was born when they were fifteen, so some simple math and ta da: thirty-two. And now I want to make some 42 jokes. But I won't. Also, I had them down as sixteen, but I was going to make them a year younger and forgot to change it. Sorry. It's all fixed now though.  
I'm saying Detective because I'm not sure if he was a lieutenant at that point yet.  
**Jessica Messer:** Managed to stick in CSI: New York, She's Danny's older sister. She kinda loony. Pretty much she's crazy and wanted to raise the mini-Tony. So she kidnapped him.  
**Vincent DiNozzo:** Don't know Tony's dad's actual name, so I chose Vincent.  
**Babylon 5:** They so did. Babylon 5 is awesome. It's a true space opera.  
**Russian blue kitten:** Okay it's been a while since I looked through a cat book, so I'll correct it if I'm wrong, but I think Russian blues are sold gray cats. My brother used to have one named Hackeysack that I had trained to lay on my shoulders as I walked around. When he went to collage my old guardian (his grandmother) who raised us, had him put down because my bro couldn't take him. Also as to the name; I always thought it would be a great joke to get a solid colored cat and name it Patches.  
**ten-year-old:** I made Dawn younger on purpose.  
**Crusades:** Okay the reason for Xander saying it that way is at the time people didn't refer to the Crusades as 'Crusades'. They referred to it instead as either 'taking up the Cross' or going on pilgrimage. So Geoffrey and therefore Xander would have a little problem with the phrase.  
**Geoffrey D'Armand:** Okay I thought of a name. I got it from Christopher Stasheff's Warlock series. Chan-chan's a big fan of the series. I welcome the suggestion I got but what I have planned for Xander's past life doesn't allow for him to become Grand Master.  
**Witchcraft:** I might bring in Harry Potter. If I do or don't that is pretty much a stunning example of witchcraft. Also tell me if the explanation makes sense. I think it does, but I'm not sure.  
**Kid of a Slayer:** Okay it just doesn't make sense to me that Robin is supposed to be the only child born of a slayer. I mean women were marrying and having children at thirteen for a very long time. There would have to be more. Besides, I thought the whole 'blood of a Slayer' thing would be a very important component in the spell the crazy!monks cast, so Mac being descended from a Slayer back in the day would cover that.  
**Hellboy:** I decided to use my Xander poker night plotbunny, and I was watching Hellboy earlier so here we are. This'll probably just be a one time appearance. But poor Danny.  
**Renfair:** I'm totally making up the date for this Renfair. I just wanted this scene.  
**D&D characters:** I'm welcome to suggestions on what the others should be.  
**Hyena over Templar cross:** If someone could photoshop that for me it would be much appreciated. Also that is going to be the name of his consulting firm.  
I got the idea for the occult National Geographic from the first Ep. of Buffy where Giles mentions having the Time Life series on demons. It made me wonder if other magazines like National Geographic had a similar publishing. The title was something Chan-chan suggested when I explained the idea to her.  
**Rafael's mental shielding:** It goes like this: he's just seen so much stuff in his life that he can just accept the weird with more grace than any human should. Also it's funny having Xander and others not sure if Gibbs' is even _capable_ of magic. His easy acceptance of the weird cloaks any ability he may have.  
**Uncle Martin:** My first introduction of Xander's godfather and he's already in trouble.  
**Djinn:** Djinn are essentially evil genie. Pretty much the epitome of 'Be careful what you wish for'. They might actually be worse than Vengeance Demons, I'm not sure.  
**2/3's of Evil Trio:** Yes that is planned. I needed Xander to have more employee's and just imagine him having to deal with the two of them.  
**Santea:** Pronounced S-ahn-te-ah  
**Wednesday, October 15 2003:** Okay this scene is kinda a combination of two things. One being I thought it would be a great and funny gift. Two: it's a tribute to the very first episode of CSI: NY that I saw. Which was the one where a rat ate the key piece of evidence which was a bullet. So a rat scene.


	2. Notes

Alejandro DiNozzo Notes

**Notes about Geoffrey's fellow Templar hunters:** Alright here's the deal, I'm not sure yet how to write the exposition in yet. The group he hunted with wandered _constantly_ hunting and occasionally recruiting for the Templar's. Pretty much a wandering group of Templar's charged with hunting demons across the known world. They were very good but rather reclusive seeing as they all had something to hide from outsiders.   
Also they all had at least on big secret. The secret's range from the mundane to the mystical in nature. Those that know another's secret don't speak of it to outsiders of their group and rarely amongst themselves. Examples are one of them was actually a woman (but not even close to the shortest of them) another was part demon, another part fae, one's an immortal (of the Highlander type though they were killed but not by another immortal so no claimed quickening)... so on and so forth.   
The group was hunted down over the span of about two years and wiped out by demons trying to get whatever they hid. It was pretty much the demonic equivalent of the Holy Grail. It could be anything from an actual demon they sealed, to an extremely powerful artifact. Whatever it was the demons want it back _really_ badly. I'm toying around with the irony of whatever-it-is having come to them to be hidden.   
They are reborn in the modern times and some have regained the memories of that life through various means, others haven't and might in the future. Suggestions on who could have been one of them and what their secret was are welcome. A few are already selected and a bit fleshed out. 

**Note on protectors:** The group would occasionally come across (or in some cases father despite the whole chastity thing) someone that would need to be protected for one reason or another. So they would send them to a person or persons that would be able to do so. All the protectors are powerful beings in their own rights and are friends of at least one of the group. 

People & Creatures of Note for Templar hunters

Note that the meaning of the name is directly after it in parentheses. 

**Adele (good humor):** Matteo's horse (thought I'd mention her). A rather vicious creature that _really_ hates demons. She actually _picked up_ a fully armored knight in a battle once and threw him out of the way so she could thrash the demons herself. Though she's docile even sweet for Matteo and Geoffrey, she's mostly foul tempered and distrusting of most humans. Part horse and part some sort of mystical equine, maybe two types. Suggestions on what would be nice. 

**Allegra (joyful):** Italian. Doesn't remember. Abby's (NCIS) previous life. Matteo's younger sister.   
**Secret:** Quarter demon. 

**Geoffrey (divine peace) D'Armand (Armand soldier):** French. Remembers. Xander's (BtVS) previous life.   
**Secret:** Half Sidhe. 

**Iniga (fiery):** Succubus. They met her in Venice and according to Xander, "Only Leander would find the _one_ lesbian succubus in the entire debauched city." Later she became one of the protectors. 

**Leander (lion):** Greek. Remembers. Dean Winchester's (Supernatural) previous life.   
**Secret:** Actually a woman. (I did that mostly for fun) 

**Lukas (brings light):** Swedish. Doesn't remember. Horatio's (CSI:M) previous life.   
**Secret:** Pyrokinetic. 

**Matteo (gift from God) Biaiardo (reddish-brown hair):** Italian. Doesn't remember. Tony's (NCIS) previous life. Geoffrey had been his squire. He doesn't get why Adele likes him, she just does.   
**Note:** In Italy at the time surnames were often descriptive. It wasn't until later they became hereditary.   
**Secret:** Quarter demon. 

**Mikolas (people's victory):** Greek. Doesn't remember. Speed's (CSI:M) previous life.   
**Secret:** Squib 

**Rafael (God has healed) Mendez:** Spanish. Remembers. Gibbs' (NCIS) previous life. Founder of Geoffrey's group of demon hunters. Leander had been his squire.   
**Secret:** Former assassin. Became a Templar to repent. 

**Russell (fox) Wyndham (from the windy village):** English. Remembers? Richie Ryan's (Highlander) previous life. He didn't die during the Archangel ep. After he left the first time he didn't come back. A skin shifter took his place (just like Dean but without the serial killer aspect). Who knows what he's been up to since he left.   
**Secret:** Immortal. Age unknown before death. 

**Zuri (white and lovely):** French Sidhe. Geoffrey's mother. She raised him until he was six and a half then forced to give him to his human father because of some Sidhe law. She was one of the protectors. Killed by a demon. 


	3. New Bits

Wednesday, June 26 2002

Vivian sighed regretfully as she dialed Martin's number. She really didn't want to bother him on his day off, but it looked like she had no choice. She really needed that file.

_"Hello?"_ Martin's sleep-roughened voice answered.

"Hi, Martin. I'm sorry to wake you." Vivian apologized.

_"No, it's okay. What do you need?"_ Martin asked sounding a bit more awake.

"Where did you put the Hamilton file?" Vivian asked. "I want to check something."

_"Just a minute."_ Martin's voice became distant as he pulled the phone away from his mouth. _"Hey, Danny, move. You're drooling on me man." _

Vivian blinked in shock as she heard a grumpy male voice mutter something she couldn't hear.

Martin laughed at whatever the other man said. _"It's my bed Danny, not yours. Move over." _

"You okay Martin?"

_"I'm fine. I just had a late night with a friend."_ Martin explained before shifting to her reason for calling. "The Hamilton file, right?"

"Yeah." Vivian confirmed.

_"I gave it to Sam last week. Check with her. I don't know what she did with it."_ Martin said.

"Thank you Martin. I'm sorry I woke you."

_"Its okay. I needed to get up anyway. See you tomorrow Viv."_

"Goodbye Martin." Vivian said as she hung up. She stared at her phone for a moment as she thought about what she overheard. _'Danny and Martin? There's got to be a logical explanation. Even if they both have today off.'_ Shaking off the thought, though it still lingered, she went to find Sam and ask about the Hamilton file.

An Hour Later

Martin smirked in amusement as Danny stumbled into the kitchen from the bedroom. "Finally awake?"

"You better have coffee." Danny growled as he headed towards the coffee maker.

"Well aren't you a wave of sunshine this morning." Martin said dryly as he watched the blonde Italian fix himself a cup of coffee.

"Bite me." Danny snapped before taking a drink from his cup.

"I think I covered that last night." Martin said with a widening smirk as Danny choked on his coffee.

"Shut up." Danny grumbled, although he did return Martin's smirk.

Monday, July, 1 2002

Martin frowned over at Vivian, who was giving him a weird look again. When she noticed him looking at her she flicked her eyes over to Danny briefly before going back to the papers she was looking through.

"That's the eighth time she's done that. Do you know what her problem is?" Danny asked after walking over.

"No idea." Martin rubbed his forehead briefly to try and sooth his minor headache.

"You do anything that annoyed her?" Danny pressed.

"Not that I know of. The only thing I can think of. The only thing really different at the moment is I have a friend staying with me while his apartment fumigated."

"That can't be it."

"Then I have no idea." Danny paused then smiled. "So who's the friend? What do they do?"

"Danny's a CSI with the NYPD."

"Danny, huh?" the brunette man's smile grew into a smirk.

"It is a rather common name in case you haven't noticed." Martin pointed out tartly, though he was now smiling slightly as well.

Thursday, June 21 2003

"I'm sorry Willow but I can't. You're just not a suitable option for a godmother. I'm sorry." Xander said as gave Oz a distracted smile.

_"And why not? I'm you're oldest friend, Xander!"_ Willow exclaimed. Xander could practically _see_ her stomping her foot in frustration.

"One: you're Jewish. Two: I'm catholic. Three: you're a Wiccan. Four: no offense but, you have a dangerous job." Xander very carefully stepped around the elephant that was Willow's magic addiction that had been the main contributor to his choice.

_"I'll concede the first three, but you have a dangerous job too."_ Willow pointed out peevishly.

"I'm a consultant Willow. A researcher. Besides, I'm the father." Xander sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, are you going to come to the christening even though I didn't choose you to be Rafael's godmother?"

Willow sighed in defeat. _"I wouldn't miss it."_

Xander smiled in tired relief and moved the topic onto safer ground for the rest of the call.

Wednesday, February 16 2005

Speed hummed contentedly as he took a bit of his breakfast as he watched Faith and Xander in the middle of their morning routine of nude meditation. He wasn't even irritated as he normally would have been at having his own meditations interrupted. "Hello?"

_"Hi Speed! I just found Da-ddy and Mom in bed together! They've finally seen reason!"_ Dawn's excited and babbling voice babbled on so quickly that it took a minute for what she was telling him to sink in.

"Mac and Danny? Are you sure that you're not imagining things?" Speed asked as he tried clarify what he had just been told.

_"Yeah. I came back home to change for school to find them like that. Like, no clothes or anything!"_

Speed frowned at that. "Where were you that you needed to come home and change?" he asked.

_"Daddy and everyone are working some big case and he asked Santea to let me stay with her for the night."_ Speed felt a spike of worry at that information. Mac, while he got along with Santea, didn't like asking the beautiful djinn for favors. So for him to ask her to baby-sit his daughter meant several worrying things, including the fact that it was to _dangerous_ to let anyone else watch her.

"Maybe there's another reason for them being in bed together?" Speed asked not letting his worry seep into his voice.

_"Did you not hear about the lack of clothes? Which means they did... stuff."_ There was a pause from Dawn before she squeaked and continued in a horrified tone, _"Oh god! Daddy and Mom had sex! Together! I... I can't handle this! What'll I say? What'll I do?"_

Speed smiled wryly at Dawn's priorities. She's thrilled that her dad and 'mom' get together, but is completely disgusted by the thought of them having sex. "Dawn, calm down or you'll hyperventilate. Listen leave a note that you stopped by, and get to school, it's almost eight."

Dawn shrieked in horror and babbled a quick goodbye before rushing off to do what he suggested. Shaking his head he set the phone down next to his plate and went back to appreciating the scenery before him, before he had to head off to work.


	4. Hogwarts Job Fair

This is still very much a work in progress. But I thought you guys might appreciate it.

Part of the Alejandro DiNozzo 'Verse.

Hogwarts Job Fair

April 4 2006

Xander eyed the faux wall that led to Platform 9 3/4 sourly. "Why am I here again?" Xander had worn all black that day in concession to England's much colder spring weather in comparison to Miami. Black boots, jeans and a turtleneck underneath a knit sweater and leather jacket; practical and casual. The dark cloths and the subtly feral aura around him had people subconsciously skirting him, as their instincts told them the vaguely irritated man was a predator of the truest sort.

"Because we need more researchers without poaching from The Council, because we like them." Tara answered him distractedly as she busily searched through her purse. "We've had twenty research heavy cases in the last three months." She wore practical flats, a long, subtly patterned green and gray dress; though with tights underneath; and a slightly loose purple and blue sweater.

Xander sighed and ran a hand through his longish black hair. "Right. So we ready to go now?"

"As soon as I find our tickets." Tara said before triumphantly pulling out a thick manila envelop. "And here we are."

Xander nodded and started pushing their cart of luggage towards the faux wall. "So were's this... thing being held? You did say it wasn't the Watchers hosting right?"

"The British Wizarding Ministry is hosting the Job Fair at Hogwarts, a magic school. There's a pamphlet." Tara pulled out the afore mentioned item and handed it to a distracted, and lightly scowling Xander as they strolled through the illusionary wall and onto the platform.

Xander took a sweeping look around before pulling out and putting on a pair of sunglasses. "It's not right for it to be so bright so late." Xander grumbled.

"You're still thinking like we're in Miami. Come on, we don't want to miss the train." Tara said as she poked Xander in the arm.

"Taking a train to Hogwarts of all places." Xander shook his head and started pushing their cart towards the train again. The next several minutes were lost in the shuffle of settling into a compartment with their luggage. Xander read through the pamphlet thoughtfully as they were joined by a thin old man with startlingly pale eyes and a deceptively frail frame, and a slightly overweight middle aged man with flame red hair and a generally hen-pecked air.

Xander gave them a nod of acknowledgment and a sweeping gaze from behind his sunglasses when each entered the compartment and took their seats across from them. A slightly uncomfortable silence descended upon the group as they waited for the train to disembark.

Tara finally broke the silence, "What did you mean?"

"Hmm?" Xander hummed distractedly as he read through the BS that boarding schools the universe over seemed to spew in their pamphlets.

"About taking a train to Hogwarts? You said it as if it were odd."

Xander looked at her curiously for a moment before he gave a rather sardonic little smile. "Sorry about that, I'm just having a bit of trouble fixing 'Hogwarts' and 'trains' into the same line of thought."

Tara looked at him thoughtfully before smiling, "You've been there before."

"A _very_ long time ago." Xander snorted in amusement and handed back the pamphlet. "I don't think we'll find anyone."

"Xander! We've barely even left the station and you're already being cynical." Tara gently admonished.

"From what I've seen and hear the European wizards isolate themselves from the rest of humanity a great deal, not to mention what we saw at Diagon Mar... Alley. Do you think any of the wizards we've seen so far would be able to handle Miami? The land of plastic surgeons?"

Tara frowned and nodded slowly. "I see you're point, but still, we might get lucky. We really do need more help."

Xander sighed and nodded reluctantly. "I know, but that doesn't mean I like it." With a sigh he turned to the two men across from them. "Hi. So how longs the ride there?"

"Several hours. You're American?" The red-headed man asked curiously.

"All the bad habits included," Xander quipped.

Before more could be said, the door to their compartment slid open and showed a tall blond man with a disdainful expression that worsened as he saw the occupants. "My, my, isn't this typical. Already making nice with the muggleborn Weasley?" the man sneered as the now scowling man.

Xander frowned and looked over at Tara, "'Muggleborn?' What's that?"

Tara sighed, "A 'muggle' is a non-magical human, so a witch with 'muggle' parents is a 'muggleborn'."

Xander arched an eyebrow at the interesting slang. "Huh. Interesting." He turned back to look at the arrogant blond. "Sorry, you got that wrong. I'm not a witch. So therefore not a 'muggleborn.' Sorry blondie."

"Of course not, you would be a wizard, boy." The man sneered at the impudent man sitting before him.

Xander's eyebrow climbed higher, "Unless the meaning of 'wizard' has changed a great deal in the last seven hundred years, I'm not one of those either."

"Excuse me Mr. Malfoy; I need to take roll of this compartments occupants." A young mans voice broke in from just out of sight.

Xander noticed with interest that 'Weasley' stiffened at the voice.

Malfoy sneered and moved aside to allow the entrance a self-important young man with the same flame red hair and a strong resemblance to the middle aged man. "Please, state you're name and occupation."

Xander gestured to the old man sitting across from him to begin as 'Weasley' stiffen even more in outrage.

"XXX ((Can anyone tell me his first name?)) Ollivander. Wandmaker, Owner and Proprietor of Ollivanders." the old man stated calmly.

"Arthur Weasley. Head of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department of the Ministry of Magic." Arthur managed to choke out through his anger.

"Tara McKay. Researcher for Hyena Paladin Consulting." Tara gave the young man a shy smile and ducked her head at the looks her answer got. Showing the shyness that she hadn't managed to completely shake.

"_You_ work for Hyena Paladin Consulting?" Malfoy sneered in disbelief. "_The_ most prestigious magical consulting firm in the world?" The man's voice dripped disbelief.

Xander scowled at the man, "That's what she said."

"And you, sir?" The young man broke in importantly. "You are?"

"Alejandro DiNozzo, Owner and founder of Hyena Paladin Consulting." Xander introduced himself blandly.

"You expect me to believe that you, a mere boy, are Alejandro DiNozzo? One of the premiere demonologists in the world?"

"Really? I'm premiere? That's new." Xander smirked.

"Sir, can you prove who you are?" the young man broke in.

"Will my passport do?" Xander asked as he pulled it from his jackets inner pocket and handed it over. He watched with interest as the young man pulled out a wand and cast what he assumed to be some sort of spell to confirm that it was real.

"Everything looks in order." The young man gave a general nod, and swept out of the compartment.

Xander shook his head and handed the pamphlet back to Tara. "Looks about like I expected. Lee* has more of a chance of getting married, than us of finding someone."

"You're too cynical." Tara chided gently as she took Xander's lead and ignored the others in the compartment.

"Tara from what I've seen and heard the European wizards have no idea what's going on outside of their little world."

"Then why did you agree to come then?" she asked in exasperation.

"You mean besides the infinitesimal chance that we'll actually find another researcher?" Xander smiled slightly at Tara's nod. "To check and see how the old rock is fairing of course."

Tara gave him a hard look before sighing and dropping the subject for the moment. Xander, she well knew, never did things for just one reason and getting even half of them out of him when he was being closed mouthed was impossible.

It was one of his more exasperating traits, though it was also what made him so trustworthy.

* * *

*Refers to Leander's current incarnation Dean Winchester.


End file.
